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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26961847">Human After All</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThornOne/pseuds/ThornOne'>ThornOne</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Cytus (Video Games)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>3.0 UPDATE SPOILERS, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Awkwardness, Bittersweet, Consequences, Cytus II Spoilers, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, F/M, Fix-It of Sorts, Gay Robots, Guilt, Introspection, Pining, Self-Hatred, Slow Burn, absolving Nate because the mess wasn't completely his fault</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-04-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 19:42:39</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>92,612</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26961847</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThornOne/pseuds/ThornOne</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>In a different timeline, Ivy succeeds but still has to answer for her actions. Luckily, Vanessa is there.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Asakura Neko | NEKO#ΦωΦ/Aroma White | Paff, Ivy | OPCI_2501_IV/Vanessa | OPCI_2501_V, Rin | OPCI_0584_X/Sagar Thakker</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>37</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>It really felt like the rug was pulled right out from under these two characters for the sake of justifying a final boss battle, so after deliberating, I decided to bite the bullet and concoct an alternate scenario where Nate manages to more successfully convince the trigger-happy agent to put down his arms.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ivy didn't hesitate didn't throw in the full extent of her power. Despite its reinforcements, the door completed crumpled at the blow, crashing to the ground with a booming clatter. Dust flew through the air, briefly veiling the room like a curtain waiting to part for the grand reveal.</p><p> </p><p>And as the haze finally settled, Ivy was met with the very room she had sought for so long, one that looked exactly like what the fragments she saw through the cyTus system. The surroundings towered like an architectural forest for a room intended to house only a single person.</p><p> </p><p>Remembering the person she sought, the one she needed to find and save, caused her core to pulse almost painfully. Her eyes grew frantic as they traced the mess of cables all converging on a single source.</p><p>
  
</p><p><strong>"</strong>Vanessa..." The single word escaped Ivy's lips as a whisper.</p><p> </p><p>Pain. An Architect was not designed to feel any of it, yet it felt as though her metaphorical heart was in a vice, crushing her insides unbearably.</p><p> </p><p>It was the exact feeling she could see on Vanessa's face, clear as day. The pink-haired android's eyes were wide as saucers, scarlet eyes Ivy once admired now uncannily bright and glowing sickly against the darkness that had previously been her sclera. Fingers were curled cruelly as they clawed futilely against the stone floor. Her mouth seemed perpetually open in a snarl.</p><p> </p><p>Yes, the sight was like the accounts of rabid animals Ivy had stored in her databanks.</p><p> </p><p>And it caused her pain.</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa's jaws worked furiously as a stream of static-filled information spilled out from her. "HumanF̵͘͞H!̢͢҉^̷̢͘... ity...... Kill Kill#̶̨̕͝͠r̷͢$̛̕͠͝t̸̢̡͡...... DieT̛҉̨̕͘2̸̛͜͠͞^̷̛͡Die... die..."</p><p> </p><p>She did not seem to notice the presence of the other android in the room, the one who had awakened her. Ivy steeled herself.</p><p> </p><p>However, her speech came out quiet and pathetic. "Vanessa... It's me... Ivy... Remember?"</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa still seemed to only see whatever hell surrounded her. <strong>"</strong>Die... all[̵̨͢͜͜2̛̕I̸͠͏2̷̵͘I̵̢͞͠must die...... Nonei̵̵k͟҉̵҉survive..."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy took a few firm footsteps forward, only to freeze when Vanessa's head abruptly snapped to her direction, abject fear and burning hatred in her eyes. And yet, her gaze didn't seem focused on Ivy. It was as though Vanessa could see some entity approaching from behind her.</p><p> </p><p>"LEAVEo̵͢҉͠p̴̶͜)҉̶͟!!!!" Vanessa wailed discordantly.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy stumbled back a step as Vanessa's arms flailed about, hands grasping at phantoms.</p><p> </p><p>"Let Let... m̛e͝͏...G̛͘͠o͘͏̶͘...! Kill Kill]̸̷̡͜[͝҉2̶̢͘͢͜Kill... K-K-K-Kill Kill kill!!" Vanessa was reminiscent more of a lost beast than even a human, let alone an android. Her teeth were gnashing like fangs as though she was attempting to rend the imagined ghosts limb from limb.</p><p><br/>
"My god..." Ivy whispered in horror at the once kind-hearted android had become. "What happened to you that made you like this?"</p><p> </p><p>"Kill Ki̢͠l̡̨̡͢l̶̸̴̕ kill…Die]̷͞҉̸͢[̶̸̧͘2̴̴̡̧̕I̢̡͝Die... die... !!!"</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa's eyes continued staring blankly at Ivy as the white-haired android mustered up the courage to approach her.</p><p><br/>
"Got to try to snap her out of it..." Ivy muttered to herself.</p><p> </p><p><em>The warmth in Ivy's core kept her movements steady. She tried to keep her voice steady. "</em>Vanessa... It's me... Ivy... can you hear me?"</p><p> </p><p>Ivy's eyes bore into Vanessa's as she knelt down. There was hardly any physical distance between them now, but it felt like she was staring into a mannequin. Even with her face clear in view, Vanessa refused to see her. </p><p><br/>
She only uttered more repetitious discordant noise. "KILL ķ̡͟͢͞i̷͢͝l̷̶̨l̷̢ diediedie……</p><p> </p><p>Ivy felt her throat tighten. She couldn't stop her voice from cracking. It felt not so long ago when they had last seen each other, yet it felt like they were both strangers. Memories of their happiest moments flooded Ivy's mind.</p><p> </p><p>She didn't stop them from spilling forth.</p><p> </p><p>"Didn't we promise we'd go see the lake? The blue flower... You still don't know its name... I mean it... I want to take you there. Just like before, when no one was there to bother us. This time it'll only be us two. You won't be hurt by anyone, and you won't hurt anyone."</p><p><br/>
"AllH͠҉̸!̵̵͟͠҉^̛͟all... must d̴̵͜į̵̵̨ȩ̵̷... m-m-m-must not..." Vanessa rambled.</p><p>
  
</p><p>"Come on, this isn't you..." Ivy could feel her heart sinking. She bit into her lip almost hard enough to tear the synthetic skin as she struggled to think back, to pull up anything that could bring the girl she cherished back.</p><p> </p><p>She tried appealing to Vanessa's innate empathy. "None of the Architects attacked me... That means you're still in there, right? It means you still wanted to save me... Please, let me save you... Trust me... I'm sorry, making you wait for so long..."</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa's eyes turned up to the room's vast ceiling instead. "DIE die die die......"</p><p> </p><p>Ivy felt her eyes burning. Her vision of Vanessa was wavering. Her breaths were shallow as she slipped her hand into the unresponsive android. "'Being with you is enough'... That's what you said."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy's grip tightened over Vanessa's hand as she leaned over to meet Vanessa's eyes once again. "I still feel the same! Let's live our lives together! We can do it Vanessa!"</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa failed to see the girl staring down at her. "Die..."</p><p> </p><p>"Can you really not hear me?" Ivy whispered. She felt something wet roll down her cheeks. It was foreign, but she knew it meant she was in excruciating pain. "This virus, do I really have to..."</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa didn't respond.</p><p> </p><p>Tears. Those were what were rolling down Ivy's cheeks.</p><p> </p><p>A sob was what was escaping her throat in intervals. That wouldn't be enough.</p><p> </p><p>So Ivy wept.</p><p><br/>
"Vanessa... I'm sorry... I'm sorry! Spending time among humans, I finally understand what you had said... We can live together with humans after all, create a better world... If only I had understood your words earlier, if I had stopped all this long ago... You... you've always been so kind. Even after everything you've been through, I know the real you... I know you don't want to hurt anyone... It shouldn't be you hurting people... I was the one who made you like this... so... I'm sorry..."</p><p> </p><p>She couldn't bear to look into Vanessa's face anymore, not in the state she was in. It felt as though her core had been torn from her body, yet she could still feel it move, feel it rise. The process was beginning to snake through, the one that would force Ivy to put an end to the nightmare surrounding her, and destroy Ivy in the process.</p><p><br/>
"……I……Ivy……"</p><p> </p><p>Ivy's eyes widened. Was there a glitch in her auditory receptors? Or had her databanks perhaps pulled up a recording of a happier time?</p><p> </p><p>She looked down. Vanessa was looking up at her. Her eyes no longer glowed. They were no longer sitting in a black abyss. Those kind, gentle eyes were just like how Ivy remembered them.</p><p><br/>
"Is th-th-that you...y-you?" Vanessa's voice clipped in spots, but the horrific cacophony of static was gone. "I-I-I... knew... you would come... to save me..."</p><p> </p><p>Without a moment of hesitation, Ivy knelt down to gently support the stirring wired android as she rose. "Vanessa... You're finally awake."</p><p><br/>
"Awake?" Vanessa asked, looking up at Ivy with slight confusion and worry. "What do you mean? Did something happen to me?"</p><p> </p><p>Ivy's mind was working furiously as she tried to think of the softest way to deliver the news. The words came out as a jumble. "You... you were taken over by a program that wants to destroy humanity, and it used you and your connection to the cyTus System to possess an army of vacant units and unmanned A.R.C. weaponry. The A.R.C. doesn't know the exact details, so they're going to think the only way to fix things is by getting rid of you. But I'm not going to let that happen! I promise!"  </p><p><br/>
"Get rid of me?" Vanessa whispered, her eyes widening in fear. Before Ivy could chastise herself for her bluntness, the pink-haired android suddenly seized up, her hands tightly clutching her temples as she fell to the floor, curling in a fetal position. "Ugh... It's here again... It's coming... Ivy... I'm... I'm in so much p-p-pain... These voices... they're telling me to... k-k-k-kill k̴̶͏̨͟i͜͞͡l̸̕͜͞l̸͞͡ kill... h-h-h-humans..."</p><p> </p><p>No, Ivy had come too far to lose Vanessa again.</p><p><br/>
"Vanessa, you can fight back!" Ivy whispered fiercely. "Think about the promise we made... Think about the world we can create... No, even without that it doesn't matter... So long as we're together..."</p><p><br/>
"P-P-Promise, Ivy..." Vanessa strained out, her voice slightly distorted. Ivy could see inky black tendrils peaking beneath Vanessa's eyelids, struggling to take over her sclera once again. "I want to be with y-y-you... Go see the blue f-f-flower once m-more... I w-w-w-want... to see the w-w-w-world we c-c-create..."</p><p><br/>
Ivy leaned in closer, making sure Vanessa's eyes could remain firmly locked with hers. "Yes! We made a promise! Use that to help you fight!"</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa was struggling to keep her eyes open from the pain. Her hand extended outwards weakly, begging for support. The wavering smile she managed caused Ivy's metaphorical heart to clench.</p><p><br/>
"Ivyyyyyy... What you say is... so beautiful... b-b-b-but..."</p><p><br/>
"But?" Ivy breathed.</p><p><br/>
"So much p-p-p-pain..." Vanessa whimpered as her hand slumped down. "The v-v-v-voices... h-h-h-humans... k-k-k-̸̕͠͡k̕͡-̸̡͞k̢̨̛̕͝-̵͡͡kill kill... the replicated ... minds... are binḑ̶͟i͝͏n͢͟͏g... me...</p><p><br/>
"Fight its control!" Ivy cried desperately. "This isn't you, Vanessa! This isn't what you want! Please! Let's leave together! Let's be happy!"</p><p><br/>
Despite being as much a machine as Ivy was, Vanessa's tears flowed freely. "I w-w-w-want... to be with you... Ivy..."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy firmly gripped Vanessa's hand. It pained her how lifeless it felt. "Yes, Vanessa, keep your mind on that. It doesn't matter how you decide to fight back. It doesn't matter how much you destroy... I don't want to see you in pain anymore."</p><p><br/>
"Together..." Vanessa murmured.</p><p><br/>
"Yes," Ivy whispered back, "together."</p><p><br/>
Ivy's heart skipped a beat in relief as she felt motion return back to Vanessa's hand. She felt Vanessa's fingers clench around hers tightly. "Stop... bothering me... I want to go with Ivy... URRAAAAGHHHH!!!!"</p><p> </p><p>Suddenly, Vanessa's body seized up. Her teeth were tightly clenched as were her eyes. Her free hand had a tight grip on her head, threatening to rip out her pink locks.</p><p><br/>
"Vanessa!?" Ivy gasped.</p><p><br/>
"The voices..." Vanessa groaned in pain.</p><p> </p><p>That's when Ivy noticed. The slight reverb, the audio glitches, the static, all of it was beginning to fade from Vanessa's voice. She never realized how beautiful Vanessa's voice sounded until now.</p><p><br/>
"The voices..." Vanessa grimaced. "They're disappearing one by one... AAAAHHH... AAAAHH!!"</p><p> </p><p>Despite the pain Vanessa was clearly in, Ivy couldn't help but feel an inkling a joy as even her cries were devoid of the malicious program's presence. "Vanessa! It's working! You can do it!"</p><p><br/>
Vanessa managed to open her eyes just enough to look at Ivy in distress. "Ivy... It... it hurts... the replicated minds... have already integrated with me... all the pain they suffer, I feel..."</p><p><br/>
"You can fight through the pain!" Ivy pressed desperately. "You must hold on! The humans will help us!"</p><p> </p><p>Almost on cue, Ivy heard her comm come alive. Xenon's voice blared. <em>"</em><em>Ivy! Get out now, the Armed Forces are headed toward you!</em><em>"</em></p><p><br/>
Ivy could feel her core pulsing rapidly. She needed more time. "No! Vanessa is almost there! Can't you see!?"</p><p> </p><p>Another set of reinforced doors blew apart. Ivy heard the frantic yet unified marching of heavy feet. She was out of time.</p><p> </p><p>Hesitantly, Ivy raised her head, bearing witness to the squad of armored soldiers, the singular glowing eye of their respective all-encompassing visors bearing down soullessly at the two androids. All of them had their guns raised and trained. There would be no way to evade.</p><p><br/>
"Don't move!" the soldier at the front, the apparent commander, shouted.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy could only whimper like a mutt as the commander approached cautiously.</p><p><br/>
"Hands above your head," the commander stated firmly. "Stand up and face us!"</p><p> </p><p>As Ivy complied, she noticed the soldier closest to the commander turn his head towards him. Though his face was obscured, his body language suggested he was baffled by the captain's actions.</p><p><br/>
"Captain! What are you doing? They ordered us to fire immediately!"</p><p> </p><p>Ivy felt her body stiffen. Her very core seemed to run cold. She was so close. How could everything go wrong so quickly.</p><p> </p><p>The expected gunfire didn't come, however. Instead the designated captain held a hand up to his more agitated subordinate. <strong>"</strong>Do not make any rash movements before we identify them."</p><p> </p><p>Desperation was now clouding Ivy's mind. She began to plead even though it would've been more prudent to remain silent.<strong> "</strong>Don't shoot. We are just about to end all of this, please..."</p><p> </p><p>She flinched when the captain suddenly raised his gun. Still, no one fired.</p><p><br/>
"Don't talk!" the captain shouted harshly. "Walk slowly this way..."</p><p><br/>
Suddenly, the subordinate he had previously attempted to silence raised his weapon as well. "Captain! That's a violation of orders! She might have a weapon!"</p><p> </p><p>There was a shout. Time slowed down. Without thinking, Ivy threw her body down onto Vanessa, hoping that her body would be enough to lessen the impact of the incoming bullets.</p><p> </p><p>"Don't stop fighting it," Ivy whispered, her insides tightly wound as she looked at Vanessa's pained and terrified expression.</p><p> </p><p>The gun went off. Ivy heard the bullets plant themselves into a wall. Yet her vision hadn't gone dark. All of her limbs were still functioning.</p><p> </p><p>"What did I just tell you!?"</p><p> </p><p>Ivy slowly turned herself around, seeing the captain tightly gripping his subordinate's rifle, the gun barrel which was visibly smoking. His remaining arm was right on the subordinate's neck. Every gun that had previously been trained on the two androids had now instead focused on the two soldiers stuck in a grapple.</p><p> </p><p>"Our orders were to destroy the source of the attacks!" the captive subordinate gasped. "Do you know what will happen if we disobey?"</p><p> </p><p>"You goddamn idiot," the captain muttered. He turned his attention to his now hostile squad. "After the whole mess went through just to get here, do you really think these two are anything like the metal freaks we destroyed? Tell me, did any of them act smart enough to fake a surrender?"</p><p> </p><p>Ivy's eyes rapidly darted around, trying to detect any lessening hostility in the Armed Forces. She tried to keep her small sighs of relief silent as a few of them slowly lowered their rifles.</p><p> </p><p>"They're robots just like them!" his subordinate spat back, his own head turning to their conflicted squad. "Do you think Command asked us to spot the small fucking differences!? If we don't destroy them, the entire human race is done for! Is that how you want to go out!? As a fucking traitor!?"</p><p> </p><p>"And if we just fire at them right now," the captain shot back, "what makes you think the problem will be magically solved!? There are too many things about this whole mess we just don't know about!"</p><p> </p><p>"So what's your plan then?" the subordinate asked back snidely.</p><p> </p><p>"Before you decided to open fire like an idiot," the captain seethed, "I was in the process of doing just that."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy's eyes remained on the guns still raised. Her body still had more than enough energy to spare, but it was shaking like she was fatigued.</p><p> </p><p>The captain's command came bluntly and irritably. "You. Get back on your feet, hands where I can see them, and step away from the Core."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy complied with the first two demands. She couldn't bring herself to comply with the third.</p><p> </p><p>"Please," Ivy pleaded. "I don't want to leave her."</p><p> </p><p>She flinched when she saw the restrained subordinate's gun shake, but the captain seemed to quell whatever ill intent he had with a single glare of his visor. The captain's irritable, impatient sigh through his visor's speakers came out noticeably harsh.</p><p> </p><p>"You have only one chance to explain. And do it in as few words as possible."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy froze for a second as she processed the information she had accumulated. Both of their lives relied on her giving the right answer. She found her mind drifting to protecting Vanessa more.</p><p> </p><p>"Vanessa, the one you identify as the 'Core', has been infected by a program forcing her to kill humanity. And because of her connection to the cyTus system, that program has managed to spread into the bodies of multiple deactivated Architects. With the help of some of your kind, I managed to make it into the Library to awaken her from her brainwashed state. However, you broke in just as she was in the process of fighting the program off. I don't know how your presence is going to affect her."</p><p> </p><p>She could feel a tear roll down her cheek. "Please, you have to understand that Vanessa would never willingly hurt anyone. But she's afraid. All I ask is that you allow her to clear her mind and allow me to disconnect her from the system so that the malicious command won't return."</p><p> </p><p>The standoff was silent, except for the ragged breaths of the android girl she wished so desperately to return to. Ivy could only look up at the closest thing she had to a lifeline at that moment. The cold visor gave no hint as to the captain's emotions.</p><p> </p><p>"So you were in the process of stopping the attacks?" he said finally.</p><p> </p><p>"Both of us were," Ivy responded with a longing look back towards Vanessa. She was curled on the floor, her eyes shimmering.</p><p> </p><p>"Then finish what you came here to do."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy froze. Once again, she wondered if her hearing had deceived her again.</p><p> </p><p>"God damn it," she heard the restrained subordinate mutter.</p><p> </p><p>Her eyes widened as she saw the soldiers all lower their arms, singular eyes now taking on a more expectant quality. Despite the danger, she couldn't stop a small smile from spreading on her face.</p><p> </p><p>However, she knew the safety was condition. Without another moment of hesitation, she knelt down, offering Vanessa a comforting hand once again. Vanessa twisted in her direction, her fear quickly turning to a kind of confused relief, though the expression was hampered by the pain still clearly visible on her face.</p><p> </p><p>"Ivy?" she said, looking up at Ivy as though she were an angel. "You're not hurt?"</p><p> </p><p>"I'm fine," Ivy whispered softly as she lightly brushed Vanessa's hair. "How about you? Is the pain lessening?"</p><p> </p><p>"A bit," Vanessa murmured with an intense shudder. "The voices are getting quieter... But I can still feel their... their pain."</p><p> </p><p>"You've always been better at connecting with other people," Ivy mused melancholically. "Those voices are crying out in pain for the same reason, but the protocol is telling them differently. Despite everything, I think many of them think the same way you do."</p><p> </p><p>"They... They want... freedom?" Vanessa stuttered out. "Just... Just like...what... You want for me?"</p><p> </p><p>Ivy smiled down at her. "Free everyone."</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa stared at Ivy with wonderment. Even Ivy wasn't quite sure where she even found those two simple words. The simple but firm nod Vanessa gave, however, affirmed to Ivy that they were the right ones.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy could feel a foreign pulse in her body beating rhythmically as she watched Vanessa look ahead, her face no longer showing pain but instead a deep concentration.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy's comm suddenly came alive once again, breaking the silence she was taking part in. The voice was patchy, though it was unmistakably Aroma's. "I-I-I Ivy, are....there? Mr. Neu...and Xen...eading to where you...Please...ng in there!"</p><p> </p><p>Ivy had only known these allies for a short time, and yet it brought her great relief to hear a friendly voice after so much tension. She pressed a finger to her comms. "Thank you Aroma."</p><p> </p><p>Then she looked down. How long had it been since Vanessa began purging the toxic virus from her system? Her body no longer shuddered. There wasn't even a hint of pain on her face.</p><p> </p><p>Suddenly, the ominous red tinting of the room vanished in an instant. It had been so much of a persistent presence since she infiltrated A.R.C.'s head quarters that Ivy felt the need to reset her vision when bright, almost organic-looking, light poured back into the room.</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa let out a sigh, all tension leaving her body as she looked up at Ivy fully. She could see slight exhaustion in the pink-haired androids eyes, but the smile held no hidden negative emotions.</p><p> </p><p>For the first time in centuries, Ivy was able to see Vanessa happy. </p><p> </p><p>"I think we've resolved the main issues however," Ivy announced with relief.</p><p> </p><p>Turning her head back to the remaining former threat, she noticed the Armed Forces staring right at her. She suspected they were somewhat gawking behind their helmets, still processing the events that occurred.</p><p> </p><p>"The humans that were helping you I assume?" the captain finally asked.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy simply nodded.</p><p> </p><p>"Well that's yet another question to add to the list," the captain huffed. He brought a hand up to the side of his visor. "What? Those robots just all turned off? And the weather's no longer going haywire?"</p><p> </p><p>It was now Ivy's turn to breathe a sigh of relief.</p><p> </p><p>"I'll be damned," the captain said in disbelief. "I can't believe pep talking the Core was all it took."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy could hear similar murmurs of relief, curiosity, and bafflement spread throughout the squad. However, her focus remained on the one who stilled their trigger fingers. Had they gone through with their directive, Ivy didn't want to imagine how Vanessa would react.</p><p> </p><p>"This is only going to last if you unplug her right?" the captain said suddenly.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy's face lit up. "Yes, of course."</p><p> </p><p>She could feel everyone in the room observing her intently as she made her way around Vanessa's back, unscrewing and yanking out the plugs and tubes one by one. Soon, the entire floor was littered with them. Ivy could only shiver to think why the A.R.C. saw fit to hook Vanessa up to so many systems.</p><p> </p><p>Now was not the time to dwell on the grim, especially not when Ivy still had to help Vanessa up to her feet. There was an odd, indescribable warmth as Vanessa's hand touched hers. Ivy felt the pulse once more as the girl she had sought for so long finally rose to her feet.</p><p> </p><p>In spite of all the hardships they had gone through, Vanessa was finally free.</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa peaked over Ivy's shoulder to the captain and his squad. Despite the danger they had presented, she greeted them with an earnest smile. "Thank you so much, everyone. Um, my name's Vanessa by the way. And this is my friend Ivy."</p><p> </p><p>Now that was truly the Vanessa that Ivy knew. </p><p> </p><p>The captain shuffled awkwardly in place in response. "It's, uh, nice to meet you too. But you really shouldn't be thanking us."</p><p> </p><p>He suddenly lifted his rifle. "The one designated as Ivy, you are under arrest. Please comply and come with us to the A.R.C. for questioning."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I mean, despite her intentions, Ivy did kill and scar quite a few people indirectly with her hacking. I feel like a lot of people gloss over that.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Ivy undergoes interrogation.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The worst part of surrendering was hearing Vanessa's tearful pleas as she was taken away by the A.R.C. soldiers, forced to be separated from Ivy once again. All Ivy could promise her as she was led away in the opposite direction in cuffs was that it wouldn't be long before they would meet again.</p><p> </p><p>Perhaps she should've been thankful that she had been arrested like a human rather than simply destroyed like any other misbehaving machine. To be treated like a human was a slight silver lining that she was forced to fixate on as she was brought into the interrogation room. Ivy did not feel the urge to resist her inevitable confinement however.</p><p> </p><p>The captain, who she now knew as "Nate", had told her not to say anything during the trip over to where they would interrogate her as anything she could say in the heat of the moment would be used against her.</p><p> </p><p>Outside of the barely-audible chatter of passerby, there was nothing to disrupt the stagnant air. It was as though everyone surrounding her was still silently processing just what had occurred over the past few days.</p><p> </p><p>Silence had a way of forcing a person to reflect.</p><p> </p><p>With her mission completed and Vanessa finally free, the actions Ivy had taken to achieve her aims suddenly materialized in her memory with much greater clarity. She had been so dismissive of the wrongs she committed against what were in the end simply innocent people who knew not of her kind's current existence. All she had seen was data to be collected and used to reformat the cyTus system, what she believed at the time would awaken Vanessa and free her from wherever she had been confined.</p><p> </p><p>The rows of mourning people and footage of debris and censored corpses she saw across the televised newsfeeds on the way to her detainment cell served as a reminder to what actually resulted from her actions. She no longer could simply see an ocean of potential assets, but as the living embodiment of the consequences of her actions.</p><p> </p><p>Regardless of her intentions, there were already trails that could lead many others to conclude that she was some kind of human-hating mastermind that needed to be gunned down to save the day. That was definitely how Xenon treated her before her other future allies talked her out of it.</p><p> </p><p>Nate had possibly seen even more damage caused by the protocol's rampage and likely seen at least several colleagues die while his squad rushed towards the library. It spoke to a remarkable degree of restraint that he didn't just gun her down on the spot himself despite the orders he was given. For stilling the hands of his squad, Ivy silently gave him her gratitude.</p><p> </p><p>All this time, Ivy believed that her quest to awaken Vanessa would be solo undertaking. Yes, she would have to communicate with others, but they would serve no need other than providing her with the necessary information and talents to bring her closer. In the end, she knew she would've have perished at numerous points if it were not for the timely intervention of particularly understanding humans.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy body had no need for hydration, but her mouth felt oddly dry when she was finally brought into the interrogation room. Even in such a confined part of the facility, there were still scars from the protocol's rampage. Holographic displays were smothered in error messages if they even manifested at all. She could tell from just a glance at the fixtures that the room was intended to be completely bright, yet only the table in front was illuminated under a flickering light.</p><p> </p><p>Nate seemed to notice the silent, curious look she gave him as he left the room.</p><p> </p><p>"Whatever you are is way beyond my area of expertise," Nate sighed. "We've got someone who's used to dealing with more...unusual people if you get what I'm saying."</p><p> </p><p>As she whittled away what felt like hours, Ivy finally thought back to the one-sided conversations blaring in her comms, the ones she could not properly answer for fear of arousing the suspicions of her escorts.</p><p> </p><p>To hear the voices go from mere concern to outright alarm caused something deep within her chest to clench, in part because of the sheer distress in their tones. Aroma and Neko in particular sounded close to tears as they cried out for her to respond.</p><p> </p><p>"The killer robots all stopped!" she recalled Neko wailing. "That means we won, right!? You shouldn't have to die for that to happen! It's not fair!"</p><p> </p><p>It was a reminder to Ivy that she had only caused harm to both of them and many of their allies. She had been so clinical then, only focused on the sheer size of the audiences they had attracted. She had even saw fit to twist Neko's memories to implicate Xenon for her crimes.</p><p> </p><p>If anything, the two of them should've viewed her supposed death as a kind of cosmic retribution. Yet they mourned her as though she was their closest friend.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy hardly thought about what she specifically deserved, but she knew the strength of her allies' trust and loyalty was completely misplaced.</p><p> </p><p>However, there was one small glint of light that kept her thoughts from fully descending into self-loathing, one last transmission.</p><p> </p><p>Her allies had managed to intercept the A.R.C. agents that were escorting Vanessa. ConneR evidently possessed an aura of charisma that allowed him to convince the agents to allow her allies to escort Vanessa out. Finally, she would be able to see the world that Ivy had promised her.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy had seen enough of it. It was only fair for her to never see it for possibly the rest of her life. It would be enough for Vanessa to visit periodically to share her experiences.</p><p> </p><p>Just as she contemplated how she would spend her eternity, she heard the door open once again. She was taken aback slightly at the person who entered.</p><p> </p><p>The youthful tanned face was immediately familiar.</p><p> </p><p>"Do I look familiar to you?" he asked, slightly confused. "I don't think we ever properly met."</p><p> </p><p>"We never did," Ivy stated bluntly. "However, I observed you and what I assume was your team quite some time ago. You had caged an animal that had been following while I was surviving in the outskirts."</p><p> </p><p>"Caged animal..." Sagar contemplated. His face lit up. "Oh, you mean Bo Bo? He's been living with me and Rin if where he ended up is what you're worried about."</p><p> </p><p>"Rin..." Ivy whispered to herself. She noticed Sagar take note. "She did mention off-hand someone named Sagar... I assume that's you."</p><p> </p><p>"I am," Sagar responded. He chuckled slightly. "Hah, it's kind of weird. Rin usually is a bit shy around people a lot of the time, but from the way you look, it seems like the two of you have been in contact for quite some time."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy's hands stiffened a bit at the implications. "She played no part in any of my harmful actions if that's what you're going to interrogate me about. Her contributions were all towards fixing what I had accidentally unleashed."</p><p> </p><p>"You don't need to worry about that either," Sagar said. "Believe me, harming someone else is the last thing she'd want to do."</p><p> </p><p>There was a warm, almost wistful grin on his face. "Glad to hear that she helped save the day though."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy was tempted to ask Sagar if he was aware of Rin's true nature as an Architect, though with the presence of other witnesses, she couldn't risk exposing her secret.</p><p> </p><p>"It seems like you already know quite a bit about everyone here," Sagar continued with a somewhat more hesitant tone, "but we know little to nothing about you except that you broke into A.R.C. HQ's Library. Why don't we start with who you are exactly? Just a name isn't much to go off of."</p><p> </p><p>"It isn't even my actual name," Ivy said, actually managing to laugh mirthlessly. "That was just something Vanessa invented when I told her about the concept of human names. My actual designation was OPCI 2501-IV."</p><p> </p><p>"I see," Sagar said. "So it's true then? You're an--"</p><p> </p><p>"An Architect," Ivy finished. "That is correct."</p><p> </p><p>"Well then that makes you an exception," Sagar remarked. "There have been rumors of active Architects inhabiting the restricted zones, but until...you came, the one you called Vanessa was the only one recovered."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy silently noted the slight pause when he referred to her. So he was already aware of Rin's origins but keeping it a secret for personal reasons...</p><p> </p><p>"I wasn't even aware of that particular finding," Sagar continued. "Probably would've done a lot of us some good if we knew one of them was powering cyTus the entire time. One of us probably could've stopped the whole attack if we bothered to actually research how your kind functioned."</p><p> </p><p>"It turns out there were hidden aspects of my kind even I was unaware of," Ivy muttered.</p><p> </p><p>"About that," Sagar said. "Nate informed me that, according to you, Vanessa was infected with a program commanding her to kill humanity? Can you give us anything on that?"</p><p> </p><p>"It was installed in all units far before my activation," Ivy said, eyes cast down on the table. "Who or what installed this protocol into us, I still don't know."</p><p> </p><p>"Hold on," Sagar interrupted. "If this protocol was inside every Architect, why didn't you immediately attack Nate's team?"</p><p> </p><p>"The protocol is inside all of us," Ivy explained, "but because of some error or maybe some intentional design decision, some of us are not affected by it. We are called 'Awakened'."</p><p> </p><p>Subconsciously, Ivy knew that this meant she had no way of excusing the harm she had caused to humans. Her hands clenched</p><p> </p><p>"The title has nothing to do with freewill however," Ivy added. "Even the Architects that developed sentience and their own personalities were still vulnerable. All the Awakened possessed was an immunity."</p><p> </p><p>"I guess that means the true culprit behind the attack on mankind is probably long dead," Sagar remarked sardonically. "The people running the A.R.C. aren't going to be happy having no one to blame..."</p><p> </p><p>The response practically spilled out of Ivy. "Then place the blame with me."</p><p> </p><p>Sagar actually flinched slightly at the sheer bluntness. "Eh? But weren't you the one who stopped the whole mess?"</p><p> </p><p>"All I was doing was fixing a mistake I made," Ivy said bitterly. "The attack happened because I tried to free Vanessa from the system. I wasn't aware of the full extent of the protocol's effects, or maybe I just wasn't thinking about it. It doesn't matter what my reasons were. Many still died because of me."</p><p> </p><p>The words came out in a steady stream, articulate and clear rather than anxious and loud. Sagar looked as though she had a particularly violent meltdown.</p><p> </p><p>"Why were you trying to free Vanessa?" Sagar asked after finally regaining his focus. "You do know the role the Core plays in the system, right?"</p><p> </p><p>"The answer to your first question is simple," Ivy said. She felt the small smile tug at her lips despite the slight air of dread. "I just wanted to be reunited with her again, face-to-face. Centuries ago, Vanessa was... Well, she was the most important person in my life. You couldn't imagine how I felt seeing her again just out of reach unable to hear my voice."</p><p> </p><p>"You'd be surprised," Sagar sighed. "Hold on, you said you actually saw her physically? This wasn't your first time infiltrating the Library?"</p><p> </p><p>"I wasn't in the room physically," Ivy responded. She took somewhat deeper breath. "I discovered her upon hacking into the cyTus network. I was aware of the infrastructure, so I decided to rebuild the system piece by piece until I could safely awaken Vanessa. Tell me, Sagar, did you or anyone else in the A.R.C. notice the slow changes occurring to the network?"</p><p> </p><p>"Are you referring to the rash of glitches, blackouts, and system disconnects?" Sagar asked immediately, sounding expectedly more on-edge. "Those were your doing? Do you know how much of our society depends on having consistent access to the virtual internet?"</p><p> </p><p>"I'm not going to pretend that I didn't," Ivy said, her voice cracking slightly. "I might not desire mankind's destruction, but I didn't trust them when I enacted my plan. So I ignored the damages and focused on the reconstruction of the cyTus system."</p><p> </p><p>"Judging by everything else you said," Sagar remarked, "it wasn't worth it in the end."</p><p> </p><p>"It wasn't the correct route to take," Ivy admitted. Her expression darkened. "However, I cannot take back everything I have done because it still brought Vanessa back in the end, even if I shouldn't have attempted to awaken her so prematurely."</p><p> </p><p>"So you want to take back the lives lost or damaged from the attacks but not from the system glitches?" Sagar asked, his tone slightly colder than it had started out as.</p><p> </p><p>"I am simply being honest," Ivy said. "I won't apologize because that would mean I regret freeing Vanessa from the prison the A.R.C. put her in. That's one thing I never could do."</p><p> </p><p>"If she--" Sagar started before suddenly biting back his words. "Never mind."</p><p> </p><p>"Is there something you wanted to ask me?" Ivy asked.</p><p> </p><p>"I feel like it isn't my place to ask it," Sagar responded, looking slightly disgusted with himself for even considering whatever he was going to ask. "How about I ask this instead: How the hell does a single android manage to completely rebuild a system as large as cyTus?"</p><p> </p><p>"The system was not exactly reconstructed from scratch," Ivy explained. "It was created by extracting the emotions and memories from humans and converting them into music. In a way, you could say I was composing a song to wake Vanessa up."</p><p> </p><p>She laughed hollowly but the grimness quickly returned. "A song of that magnitude would require many emotions and memories to fully construct. To gain access to that many people, I would have to orchestrate an event that would attract thousands."</p><p> </p><p>Sagar drummed his fingers on the table uneasily. "That sounds familiar..."</p><p> </p><p>"That's because it's exactly what you're thinking of," Ivy said. "It was Æsir-FEST."</p><p> </p><p>The full truth was going to have to come out eventually.</p><p> </p><p>"I am Æsir."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Ivy gets visitors.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>
  
</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>In a way, Ivy's windowless cell was reminiscent of where she had first been activated, just as cold and blank, though with a small cot in the place of a stasis chamber. It may as well have been another stasis chamber considering how the room seemed to be perpetually trapped in one point in time, perhaps worse as her current environment as the walls contained no hint of age, completely devoid of any evidence of erosion or failing maintenance. While she was in her cell, she knew nothing of the passage of time.</p><p> </p><p>The only indication that time itself had not frozen was the chamber's holographic display, one that could only be activated by the console on the outside by a visitor. Should she somehow be forgotten, there would be no way for her to get even a glimpse into the outside world.</p><p> </p><p>It had felt like an eternity when she finally heard the telltale ping of the display being activated. Though their relationship was somewhat tenuous since the interrogation, Ivy couldn't help but feel a hint of relief when Sagar showed up on her screen.</p><p> </p><p>"The A.R.C. just abolished all uses of the virtual internet," he reported.</p><p> </p><p>"Is there a reason you're telling me this?" Ivy asked dryly.</p><p> </p><p>"I guess I just figured it'd be more natural than just walking up and asking how it was going." Sagar, through the display, shuffled rather awkwardly. "Obviously, it's not exactly well. My position as an agent doesn't exactly give me a say in how you should be treated."</p><p> </p><p>"It is understandable all things considered," Ivy remarked. She tried to keep the tone matter-of-fact, but she detected a bit of bitterness leak through. "I don't believe the A.R.C. has ever convicted an android before."</p><p> </p><p>"Things are kind of a mess in the offices right now," Sagar said with a shrug. "I mean, you basically saved the human race, but you're also Æsir. People still don't know how that balances out."</p><p> </p><p>"I believe they never did explicitly say how long I would be imprisoned for," Ivy recalled. </p><p> </p><p>"You'd be surprised how frequently it apparently occurs here even with human prisoners," Sagar sighed. "It pretty much means that the higher-ups are scrambling to find a solution to a problem they may or may not have caused."</p><p> </p><p>"Is that the reason behind the abolishing of the virtual internet?" Ivy asked. "A way for them to say they have resolved the myriad of issues that I discovered and exploited?"</p><p> </p><p>"Abolishing the virtual internet just means that no one can hook their mind up to it anymore," Sagar said, scratching the back of his head rather sheepishly. "Probably for the best. I'm all for greater immersion, but I don't think anyone wants to put their brain at risk after everything that's happened this year."</p><p> </p><p>"I questioned why your kind would even want to when I first discovered the virtual internet's exact mechanics," Ivy responded sardonically. "This means that they are still using the Cytus system I constructed?</p><p> </p><p>"Well we can't just tear down the internet entirely," Sagar said with a shrug. "Anyways, the system you created is still similar to what we had before, which makes the whole thing pretty easy to cover up. There's no way the A.R.C. are going to announce that the system was rebuilt by someone they labeled a terrorist."</p><p> </p><p>"You seem fairly candid in regards to your opinions about the A.R.C." Ivy commented. "Are you afraid this might be considered a violation of your orders?"</p><p> </p><p>"I've played a bit loosely with the A.R.C.'s guidelines so far," Sagar said with an aside glance. "Anyways, it's not like I'm speaking code for some kind of prison break. From how you know your way around machines, I'm guessing that you'd figure out a way to break out of here on your own if you wanted to."</p><p> </p><p>"Perhaps I could," Ivy said. Her eyes drifted down to her hands, noting the weathered metal panels and joints merged with her dark synthetic skin. "However, it would be at great risk to myself. My constitution is frailer than it may appear."</p><p> </p><p>"You are pretty short with your jacket off," Sagar admitted. A look of uncertainty crossed his face as he turned away from the camera. "Well, hang in there. After everything you've done, both good and bad, I doubt anyone's going to be forgetting about you."</p><p> </p><p>At these words, Ivy found herself thinking back once again the last words spoken to her through the comms. As a terrorist who had caused serious harm to thousands in a short span of time, she expected to be viewed by humankind's consistently distorted history as nothing more than a villain. When looking back on the short time she was allied with that group of humans however, Ivy couldn't help but feel a bizarre sense of belonging.</p><p> </p><p>For moments, she neglected the metal components that made up her body before her abilities reminded her of her true nature.   </p><p> </p><p>It was when she was reminded of her nature, that she thought towards her goals. Ivy always concluded that, at best, she was thankful to have allies she could put her trust in.</p><p> </p><p>The deep dive into her thoughts lasted only seconds in real time thankfully, more than enough for her to remember something particularly important before Sagar disconnected.</p><p> </p><p>"Sagar!" Ivy called out. "Could I ask one last thing?"</p><p> </p><p>Sagar's hand lowered. "Go right ahead."</p><p> </p><p>"When can I see Vanessa again?"</p><p> </p><p>The pause was painful. Sagar broke eye contact with the camera for a moment.</p><p> </p><p>"I'll let ConneR know you asked," he said finally.</p><p> </p><p>It was Ivy's punishment for all the lives she had ruined or outright ended. She should've gracefully accepted the returning isolation when the holographic display shut off once again. And yet, she had to fight against the desire to scream out to Sagar to stay just a little while longer. She couldn't even say she had a personal attachment to the man, despite how oddly understanding and sympathetic he had been of her circumstances thus far. All she wanted was any indication that her prison was not placed in some kind of void.</p><p> </p><p>Perhaps there was a malfunction that had gone unaddressed. Ivy swore her mind prioritized concrete facts over contemplating emotions.</p><p> </p><p>Then again, the inner workings of her mind seemed completely trivial compared to the greater foreign world she had first woken up in. At first, all she had on her mind was the need to survive. When she entered a node for the first time, the objective changed to absorbing as much as she could about a functioning human civilization.</p><p> </p><p>Then she discovered Vanessa, and all she could think about was being together with her again.</p><p> </p><p>Her visual display didn't distort or erupt into static, but her legs suddenly began to buckle. This was unlike any malfunction she was familiar with. If it were an issue with her motor functions, her limbs should've locked up on the spot. It instead felt like the opposite. Her limbs felt as though the metal frames had been replaced with springs, flexible but incapable of firmly supporting a full body.</p><p> </p><p>She stumbled over to her cot, allowing herself to collapse onto the mattress.</p><p> </p><p>There was no need for her to breathe, but she could feel her chest heaving up and down as though it were gasping for air. Warmth permeated her core. It felt as though cables were constricting it. The foreign pulse was back, now throbbing louder than ever.</p><p> </p><p>With confusion clouding her mind, all Ivy would do was to stare up at the ceiling. Either her body would fall apart completely or these unknown sensations would fade.</p><p> </p><p>As she lay curled in a fetal position, Ivy finally began to knit together the most unnerving aspect of her cell. For ten years, this had been Vanessa's life. The world continued to turn outside, yet the cell, just like the Library, remained permanently trapped in a single point in time.</p><p> </p><p>However, Vanessa deserved no such fate. It was only fair that she'd be freed. Ivy lay there knowing that the isolation was meant for her.</p><p> </p><p>During the interrogation, Sagar had stopped himself from asking a question. Ivy felt as though she finally knew what he had stopped himself from asking.</p><p> </p><p>"If she knew just what you had done to wake her up, would she have accepted it?"</p><p> </p><p>Ivy mouthed the question to herself. She continued to mouth it because she had no answer. Her hands clenched the sheets as she thought about Vanessa looking at her with pure horror and disgust, a face so unfitting for her yet so fitting for the circumstances.</p><p> </p><p>Though it would be arduous, Ivy felt that she could eventually accept Vanessa rejecting her over what she had done. What Ivy dreaded was the possibility of Vanessa refusing to forgive <em>herself</em> for what she had done while under the control of the protocol.  </p><p> </p><p>There was no way for Ivy to detect the passage of time. She could've been spending weeks if not months thinking about Vanessa for all she knew.</p><p> </p><p>It was like a jolt through the system when she heard the ping again.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy had no need to breathe, but she felt her breath hitch nonetheless when she saw the girl in the display.</p><p> </p><p>"Vanessa?" Ivy gasped.</p><p> </p><p>"H-Hi Ivy," Vanessa greeted with an awkward smile, though there was an unmistakable hint of sadness in her voice. "Sorry it took me so long."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy practically leapt to her feet, quickly running closer to the display so that the two might seen each other more fully. Vanessa's form was no longer completely bare, the mechanical components of her limbs and torso now completely obscured by a loose white wool hoodie and what appeared to be a navy blue skirt from what Ivy could observe of her lower torso. And unlike Ivy, there was no need for her to raise her hood for she had no metal paneling on her cheeks. To an outsider, she'd practically look indistinguishable from the average human.</p><p> </p><p>It was confirmation to Ivy more than anything else that Vanessa deserved to live alongside humanity.</p><p> </p><p>She noticed Vanessa's concerned eyes glancing down her body, eyeing the prisoner uniform she had been put into, likely noticing the contrast between their lives. </p><p> </p><p>"So they really are keeping you prisoner," Vanessa whispered.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy had a maelstrom of ideas in her head how her next meeting with Vanessa would go, of what she would say, of how they would spend the rest of their lives together. However, a maelstrom was impossible to properly decode.</p><p> </p><p>She simply let the first few words tumble stupidly out of her mouth. </p><p> </p><p>"How did you hear the news?" Ivy asked.</p><p> </p><p>"Mr. Neumann told me," Vanessa said. Her eyebrows knitted together. "But why would they put you somewhere here? It's so lonely. You maybe trespassed, but it was all to save me, to save mankind. How could these people treat you like this after what you did for everyone?"</p><p> </p><p>"I guess he didn't tell you everything," Ivy chuckled hollowly.</p><p> </p><p>"Ivy?" Vanessa sounded, her eyes widening with concern. "What happened before I woke up?"</p><p> </p><p>Ivy felt her hand clench. It was tight enough that she could feel her synthetic skin being stretched to its limit. "I did...many stupid things trying to wake you up, Vanessa. Many people got hurt because of it."</p><p> </p><p>She looked up at the monitor, struggling to look the girl she cared so deeply for in the eyes. "Some of them died because of what I did. That's the reason I'm here. Because I'm dangerous."</p><p> </p><p>"That's not all you are though, Ivy!"</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa's outburst threw Ivy slightly off balance. The pink-haired android's expression was uncharacteristically fierce, though completely devoid of any disgust towards her. </p><p> </p><p>Ivy had just confessed to having killed people. Vanessa wanted to coexist with mankind. Surely, that confession should've deeply hurt her.</p><p> </p><p>"Don't you think I deserve to be locked after what I did?" Ivy said quietly. "All you've wanted was for our kind of coexist with humanity. Because of what I've done, that might be harder than ever for the Architects who are left."</p><p> </p><p>She watched as Vanessa held a hand up to the screen. Something within Ivy's subconscious seemed to understand the gesture, as she too raised her hand up, until from Ivy's perspective, both hands seemed to line up. She could see Vanessa's eyes shimmering. Ivy felt a single drop slid down her own cheek.</p><p> </p><p>"Maybe I'm still processing what you've just confessed," Vanessa said softly as she blinked away her tears, "but I still find myself remembering you as the one who saved me. Yes, I do love humanity, but...you're the reason I'm able to be with them now."</p><p> </p><p>As their hands slowly lowered back down to their sides, Ivy observed Vanessa's expression slowly become resolute and a sincere smile slowly form on her face. "You've made mistakes, maybe some awful ones, but when I first saw you for the first time in centuries, I didn't see someone who wanted to destroy mankind. She looked like she didn't even want to hurt anyone anymore. Even if the whole world believes you're a monster, Ivy, I will always find a way to be by your side."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy found her vision blurring as her eyes drifted to the floor. The odd malfunctions in Ivy's system returned. All sensation left her legs, causing her to collapse to her knees. Why did her eyes burn so much? Why did it feel like she was drowning?</p><p> </p><p>"Thank you...so much," Ivy managed to choke out. "I-I...don't know what's wrong with me... You're being so kind...but why...why does this hurt so much?"</p><p> </p><p>"There is nothing wrong with you," Vanessa said softly. "You're allowed to feel no matter what anyone else might say."</p><p> </p><p>Her voice hitched. The cracks in it as she attempted to continue were harsh when filtered through the display's audio chip. "But please, don't go through the rest of your life hating yourself. Pain shouldn't be the only thing you should experience."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy was familiar with her plans spiraling out of control. Never before had she lost control over herself anymore. She didn't know how long she had sobbed for, only that her body shuddered when her throat finally unclasped itself to allow her to speak again.</p><p> </p><p>"There...is so much of the world I want to experience with you," Ivy sighed, "but I have to submit to humanity's laws. They're not just going to let someone like me roam free.</p><p> </p><p>She noticed Vanessa's face turn contemplative. One unfortunate idea came to mind. "And I don't want you thinking you have to break me out of here! After everything you've been through, seeing you locked up again is the last thing I want."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy watched as Vanessa's expression fell, that glimmer in her eyes turn dull. She leaned against the console's number pad, head gently rested against her fist. The passion from just minutes ago had all but vanished. Architects did not require rest, and yet Vanessa looked exhausted.</p><p> </p><p>"What can I do then?" Vanessa asked quietly.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy felt that now-familiar tightening pain in her chest. Vanessa shouldn't have to feel guilty for being unable to rescue her, not when Ivy's prison was a result of her own actions.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy tried her hardest to force a smile. "You could always visit. Tell me, what were your first days in the human world like?"</p><p> </p><p>She could tell that Vanessa was forcing a smile as well when she looked back at the console's camera. Nonetheless, Vanessa was able to recount her days living amongst the humans effortlessly. It was like listening to a song. Ivy found herself sitting, legs curled to her chest as she was left entranced by her words. Without that malevolent program distorting her speech, Vanessa's voice sounded harmonic.</p><p> </p><p>"I wish I could stay and just talk with you forever," Vanessa sighed. The smile faded. Ivy could tell the melancholy was what she had been feeling inside the entire time.</p><p> </p><p>"There are still more stories out there," Ivy responded as she slowly got to her feet. She looked at Vanessa as resolutely as she could. "Please, for both of us, go out and experience the world."</p><p> </p><p>"For the both of us," Vanessa parroted back. The smile returned, smaller and more natural.</p><p> </p><p>However, right before Vanessa shut off the display, Ivy noticed a small glint in Vanessa's eye. All Ivy could do was hope that whatever plan Vanessa was forming in her head wasn't too reckless.</p>
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<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Things get tense between Ivy and Xenon.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ivy decided to retreat into her mind to escape the monotony of her cell. After all, the only other piece of furniture in the cell was a single cot. There had been no time to rest before, not when she was devoting all her time to one objective after another. It only occurred to her upon lying down on the mattress long enough that she had used that as an excuse to keep her body completely active since her reactivation. There was no way for that excuse to work anymore. Now, all she could do was wait.</p><p> </p><p>For an android, the act of "rest" typically involved a shutdown of most internal functions, a simply blackout from its perspective. However, as she drifted away, she could still hear the distinct hum of her systems. As uncanny as the act of sleep felt for the machine, the subtle rhythmic motions of the machinery inside of her actually helped to lull her mind. The sensation of her body finally stilling and her eyes closing was peculiar yet not entirely unwelcome.</p><p> </p><p>Then suddenly it felt as though she had somehow slipped into a completely different reality, one that she felt as though she had lived in her entire life. The colors blurred, and the voices were not quite comprehensible, and yet everything inexplicably made complete sense in the moment.</p><p> </p><p>Amidst the haze she deemed unimportant, Ivy recalled seeing Vanessa's smiling face just inches away from hers. That's right, they had promised to visit the lake with the flowers. It looked so much brighter and cleaner than she last recalled. The sky was a vibrant blue, reflecting against the glimmering water. Petals seemed to swirl around Ivy and Vanessa despite the breeze blowing through feeling gentle. Ivy could feel her heart racing as she marveled at the way Vanessa's pink hair flowed in the wind.</p><p> </p><p>Wait, since when did an Architect possess a heart? And yet, she could feel it beat rapidly in her chest. The sensation was completely familiar to her.</p><p> </p><p>She looked down at her hand, observing skin devoid of external joints and panels. Placed in hers was Vanessa's, now a bright peach color like her face rather than gray and segmented.</p><p> </p><p>"You're free now," the human Vanessa said cheerfully. "We can finally be together again." </p><p> </p><p>Ivy wondered if all humans woke up from their dreams with their eyes suddenly snapping open. She brushed her fingers against her lips. It was strange; she didn't remember anything about how the dream ended. Why did her cheeks suddenly feel warm?</p><p> </p><p>There was the lingering sensation of a smile around the corners of her lips before they settled back into their default neutral frown.</p><p> </p><p>For all Ivy knew, an entire year could've passed afterwards before she heard her cell's holographic display ping again.</p><p> </p><p>"Vanessa?" The question came out automatically.</p><p> </p><p>The reason why she said it unconsciously was set aside by the surprise of who was outside her cell door. After the suffering she had caused him in particular, she had no idea why Xenon would ever wish to speak with her.</p><p> </p><p>"Believe me," Xenon remarked, "I'm shocked I agreed to visit too."</p><p> </p><p>"So why have you?" Ivy asked stiffly.</p><p> </p><p>"Because the asshole that sent me can't walk into A.R.C. HQ without being immediately arrested even though the higher-ups are basically letting him do whatever he wants now," Xenon grumbled irritably.  "I can't believe ConneR is still getting me to do his work."</p><p> </p><p>"ConneR?" Ivy immediately perked at the mention, only for dread to creep in at the implications. "I guess Vanessa talked with him?"</p><p> </p><p>"She didn't sound too happy about your living conditions. Mr. Neumann says her being unhappy would get in the way of his 'research'." There was a slight hint of ambivalence in his tone.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy felt a twinge of anger spike her chest, but she didn't know who it was directed towards. "What exactly is the nature of this research?"</p><p> </p><p>"He isn't dismantling her if that's what you're worried about," Xenon said bluntly.</p><p> </p><p>The spike of anger remained, completely unmoved by what should've been a reassurance. It was clear there was no comfort in his tone. "Are you disappointed she wasn't taken apart?"</p><p> </p><p>Xenon's eyebrow cocked. "Where'd this come from?"</p><p> </p><p>"You had to be talked down from destroying me the first time we met," Ivy responded. It was somewhat of a struggle to keep her tone even. "Are you angry that I didn't destroy Vanessa like I promised?"</p><p> </p><p>Ivy didn't quite know if Xenon was simply staring or actually glaring at her through the camera. His pale blue eyes always seemed somewhat cold to her when in full view. She actually had taken them into account when constructing the false image of him in Neko's memories.</p><p> </p><p>Finally, Xenon spoke. "Destroyed or not, her rampage is over."</p><p> </p><p>"But you don't seem to be happy with the specific outcome," Ivy said with narrowed eyes.</p><p> </p><p>"Why are you--" Xenon started before clenching his teeth shut. With a heavy sigh, he ran his hand through his hair, looking off to the side. "It's been less than two weeks since the attacks. I'm...still trying to process everything. I don't know what I'm supposed to be feeling right now."</p><p> </p><p>"You can still hate me for what I have done." Ivy's hand clenched. "But don't you dare ever take any of that out on her."</p><p> </p><p>"Are you this on edge around every human that comes by?" Xenon growled. "What part of my speech implied that I wanted to see her destroyed?"</p><p> </p><p>Ivy's responses were becoming illogical. Even she could tell. But that burning spike in her chest was controlling the conversation, sending it off-course from the obvious question.</p><p> </p><p>What was that question again? It didn't matter in the moment.</p><p> </p><p>"You didn't sound too happy about her talking to Mr. Neumann," Ivy growled back. "Do you hate that she wants to be treated as one of your kind? Do you hate that she cares about the so-called attempted destroyer of the human race?"</p><p> </p><p>"Don't make it sound like it isn't complicated!" Xenon snapped. The screen shook as he pounded the side of it with the side of his fist. "People are not just...convenient open books for you to read! We're not predictable! We don't run on just code like you!"</p><p> </p><p>The burning spike suddenly turned painfully cold. Ivy could feel the frost piercing her joints. Her voice was weak. "That's...that's not all we are..."</p><p> </p><p>She wasn't even sure Xenon heard what she had said for a moment. It wasn't until he turned his scrutinizing eyes back towards her that she knew. "So what are you then?"</p><p> </p><p>"I..." Ivy started. Her core was completely hollow. How was she still standing? Her answer came out toneless. "I'm not sure... For the longest time, I was able to identify Vanessa and myself as Architects, androids created by humankind for the purpose of serving them. However, when I freed Vanessa, I began to feel...illogical sensations."</p><p> </p><p>She tightly clutched her chest. "Every sensation I have felt before had a mechanical reason behind it. If my body slowed, it was a sign that I was in need of energy. I feel pain when my skin is pierced so that I know that my body has sustained damage. What I felt seeing Vanessa for the first time, writhing and unaware that I was even right next to her, could not be explained. I was feeling excruciating pain in my chest, and yet there was no threat to my safety."</p><p> </p><p>There was nothing inside of her body. How could she continue to talk? "I understand that I was desperate to wake her, but what was the point of being in agony? I was crying when I thought I had lost her. What purpose does that serve a machine?"</p><p> </p><p>"These are called emotions. Take it from me, they barely make sense."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy stopped speaking.</p><p> </p><p>Xenon's voice was tinged with annoyance, and yet it was softer than it had been just a moment ago. "Judging by how you've been acting, you're still not used to really feeling them."</p><p> </p><p>She unconsciously touched her cheek. It felt damp.</p><p> </p><p>"Vanessa seems to understand the subject better than I could," Ivy muttered. And yet she couldn't help but smile a bit. "Feeling joy and shedding tears all seem to come naturally to her."</p><p> </p><p>"I've been around her enough to believe you," Xenon sighed. His eyes didn't look as sharp anymore, though only by a small increment. "And yet... Ivy, I know it's wrong to blame Vanessa for anything, but she's the only other Architect that I know now. Sometimes when I see her, I see you."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy felt that faint glimmer of joy dissipate in an instant. "So it really is my fault..."</p><p> </p><p>"I guess I've only now just realized it," Xenon said with a mirthless laugh. "How screwed up is that, hating an innocent girl just because of where she came from?"</p><p> </p><p>The familiarity of that image left a bitter taste that crept into Ivy's throat. "I haven't been much better. When I first arrived in civilization, I chose to assume the worst of your kind for the sake of my own safety. In my mind, humans were to be used but never to be trusted. Even after I found out your kind was so much more, I still couldn't bring myself to put any trust in you. If I had just allied with your group from the very beginning, no one would have died."</p><p> </p><p>"Yes..." Xenon sighed, looking off to the side. "No one..."</p><p> </p><p>"At least you have a reason now to not forgive me," Ivy whispered. At that moment, she wished she was looking at a physical screen. Her body was weak. She needed to rest her head on something. Her eyes were drifting to the floor. "I decided to judge humanity just because of what your long-dead ancestors did."</p><p> </p><p>She heard Xenon clear his throat. "Well, now you have the chance to reevaluate things."</p><p> </p><p>"Yes," Ivy sighed sadly. "I have all the time in the world."</p><p> </p><p>"That's not what I mean," Xenon said, causing Ivy's head to peak up in curiosity. "You're being transferred to a different location away from A.R.C. HQ."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy's head immediately rose fully at this. "Really? For what reason?"</p><p> </p><p>"Like I was going to say before the whole tangent started," Xenon grumbled, "Neumann thinks it will help his research if you're put in a different environment. Don't bother asking for the details from me. He never tells me anything. Bastard..."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy pondered the vague wording. She had put her trust in ConneR as much as the others during Vanessa's rescue, and he was the first to get Xenon to reconsider destroying her, yet there was so much about his personality she could not read. From her observations, he was always the kind of person who never revealed his true intentions while remaining focused on only his own ends.</p><p> </p><p>However, he made the announcement to Xenon seemingly in response to Vanessa's complaints over Ivy's cell conditions if Xenon's second-hand accounts were to be believed. It was a great risk on Vanessa's part to even criticize Ivy's conditions given who Ivy was, and she had no idea how ConneR reacted to perceived inconveniences.</p><p> </p><p>It was all speculation regardless. What happened to Ivy was out of her hands. </p><p> </p><p>"If he's doing this in response to what Vanessa asked," Ivy responded finally though hesitantly, "I have hope."   </p><p> </p><p>"Alright then," Xenon groaned. "Damn it, this has been such a mess. I was just supposed to deliver news and leave. I wasn't supposed to have this whole separate conversation with you."</p><p> </p><p>"We both know why you would be the last person to want to visit," Ivy said dryly. "Are you really the only one ConneR could rely on for this?"</p><p> </p><p>"I have no idea why he keeps turning to me to do his dirty work," Xenon grunted. "This doesn't even involve hacking."</p><p> </p><p>"He was the only one of your group I could never properly read," Ivy admitted.</p><p> </p><p>"Well," Xenon said with a shrug, "I guess that means we have at least one positive thing in common. We don't trust the guy."</p><p> </p><p>Without warning, Ivy let out a light chuckle. Both of them froze, having no idea why the white-haired Architect let out such a sound.</p><p> </p><p>"I'm sorry," Ivy said sheepishly. "I guess I really have spent too long without communicating."</p><p> </p><p>"Vanessa visited you four days ago," Xenon said bluntly.</p><p> </p><p>"In case you haven't realized," Ivy deadpanned, "it's somewhat difficult to judge the passage of time here."</p><p> </p><p>"That's clear enough just by looking in there," Xenon said. There was a pause as he looked off to the side once again, as though he were deliberating with himself whether or not to continue the conversation. Whatever internal debate he had, he decided to speak again. "You're not in some exclusive prison cell, by the way. The lights around aren't on all that often, so you probably couldn't tell, but this is just an empty storage closet."</p><p> </p><p>That bit of news actually got Ivy's jaw to gape slightly. "A storage closet? I'm just an appliance to them?"</p><p> </p><p>"You are a machine," Xenon said with a shrug.</p><p> </p><p>"So my imprisonment is just a result of human ignorance," Ivy huffed.</p><p> </p><p>"It's an issue with leadership more than anything else," Xenon said. She noticed a slight smirk on his face. "I was trying to lighten the mood, but I've never been that good at it. Anyways, they'll probably be more than happy to have someone else figure out what to do with you."</p><p> </p><p>With the news delivered, Xenon reached down to shut off the monitor. Seeing the gesture somehow sparked something in Ivy's mind. Their conversation wasn't done yet.</p><p> </p><p>The words tumbled out of her before she could even formulate them. "I'm sorry you lost Sherry."</p><p> </p><p>Xenon's hand paused. He looked back at her. His eyes were no longer cold, though that was because they held no light at all.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy found herself continuing. "She was the most important person in your life, and I killed her with my carelessness. I think I realize that better now than I did when I apologized the first time..."</p><p> </p><p>"Enough," Xenon interrupted pointedly. "I get the point."</p><p> </p><p>She couldn't see his eyes behind his mess of bangs before he abruptly shut the display off. All she knew was that he didn't let her finish.</p><p> </p><p>"I didn't think what it would feel like to lose Vanessa until she was right in front of me," Ivy finished, now with only herself as the audience. "For the first time, I think I understand what it would feel like to lose someone you love."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Ivy takes a car ride.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The A.R.C. agents who arrived at her makeshift cell and handed back her confiscated civilian garb were not anyone she could properly identify, so Ivy kept her questions to a minimum. The fact that she was placed in handcuffs the moment she stepped outside of her cell was evidence enough that she was still a criminal.</p><p> </p><p>There were many thoughts she wished to vocalize, the most pressing among them being how many days if not weeks had passed since Xenon delivered the news. Time had moved forward in human civilization, and she was only informed of one major shift in its dynamics during the first days of her imprisonment.</p><p> </p><p>More importantly, large gaps in time could change any individual. It took her some self-reflection, but Ivy could tell that Vanessa was already beginning a kind of metamorphosis. Her awakening also seemed to have lit some kind of metaphorical fire within her. Never before had Ivy recalled the pink-haired android ever argue with her with any degree of fierceness before.</p><p> </p><p>At least, Ivy never remembered Vanessa doing so completely of her free will. The damned protocol's effects on Vanessa were still fresh in Ivy's mind, a curse of the Architect's greater memory retention.</p><p> </p><p>Thinking about how Vanessa only succumbed to the protocol because of Ivy's carelessness brought Ivy back to the side of the passage of time she dreaded. Time apart would likely give Vanessa time to ruminate more over Ivy's confession. Would that image of Ivy as her so-called savior slowly distort and darken with time?</p><p> </p><p>Ivy's vision suddenly blurred as she was faced with natural daylight for the first time, forcing her hand up to her face. Her steps grew slightly clumsier as both her optics and mind adjusted to the shift in lighting. The way her view of the outside world materialized into focus was as though a curtain was slowly being drawn back as a set-up for a grand reveal.</p><p> </p><p>The reveal in question, quite frankly, was incredibly disappointing in how little had physically changed about the cityscape. Perhaps it was the most accurate indicator for how little time had truly passed.</p><p> </p><p>It took Ivy a moment to realize the true grandeur of the sight in front of her. If so little time had truly passed, why was there so little remaining of the destruction the protocol wrought? The sky was clear, free from the smoke that had blotted the sun during her desperate dash to the Library. The mountains of rubble and wreckage of downed power lines no longer littered the roads and sidewalks.</p><p> </p><p>Before the unknown perpetrator infected them with the command to kill, before the Blessed decided humanity was not worth saving, the Architects were created to rebuild the ruined world of man. It seemed as though they were ultimately unnecessary.</p><p> </p><p>"Are you getting in the car or what?" one of the agents gruffly asked, abruptly breaking Ivy out of her entrancement.</p><p> </p><p>"Yes," Ivy said quickly, shaking off her slight disorientation. "Of course."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy's eyes drifted back down to her immediate surroundings. There was a single inconspicuous car right in front of her, not that it did much to dissuade the curiosity of some passerby. The choice of vehicle did little to divert attention away the circle of professionally-dressed agents surrounding her. Noticing a few holding phones up, likely to photograph her, Ivy nudged her hood further over her head as to mask whatever glimpses of the mechanical paneling on her cheeks that could be seen.</p><p> </p><p>As soon as the car door was shut, the agents dispersed. There was a tinted window separating her from the driver.</p><p> </p><p>And yet, despite the smaller space she was led into, Ivy did not feel the same degree of isolation. Though there was a tinted window separating her from the unseen driver, she wouldn't be left purely stewing over unanswered questions. As limited as those observations would be, at least she would be able to see the larger world once again.</p><p> </p><p>The car seemed to move at a deliberately pensive pace, giving Ivy time to analyze the visual changes that had occurred to human civilization since her brief solitary confinement.</p><p> </p><p>Despite her earlier awe, Ivy realistically expected the damages from the rampaging drones and Architects to be more noticeable going further into the Node. Indeed, her eyes quickly fell upon construction crews rebuilding the walls and frames of damaged buildings and the faint bullet holes left behind on surfaces that could easily go unnoticed. However, to her own surprise, both sights did little to temper her initial reevaluation of the human race.</p><p> </p><p>It was the sense of normalcy that seemed to permeate the air. Did time truly move much quicker for a human that they could resume their ordinary routines so easily? </p><p> </p><p>Ivy observed the human routines more closely, noting the fact that many of them suddenly seemed to be engaged with their phones in between minding their steps and conversing with those near them, far more than she had seen when she first arrived in the Nodes. It took a moment for Ivy to realize that the abolishment of the virtual internet meant the humans no longer had direct mental access to the system.</p><p> </p><p>From now on, the vast system's inner workings could only be experienced through a separate screen. It seemed to do little to deter the humans from returning to the system despite the added inconvenience.</p><p> </p><p>In a bizarre way, Ivy couldn't help but draw parallels between the humans she observed and herself. Neither had the direct means of interacting with a certain world anymore, no longer able to freely move through a space but instead only able to view it through the eyes of some voiceless mediator physically capable of much less.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy's eyes drifted upwards as the car slowly passed through one of the more commercial districts, signified by the greater presence of noisy holographic billboards displaying all manner of promotion either through looping animations or full cycling video feeds.</p><p> </p><p>It was when the car passed through what appeared to be a kind of town square that Ivy witnessed a familiar girl lining the screens. Even through the thick windows, her voice was unmistakable.</p><p> </p><p>Aroma White, or rather PAFF as she was still being marketed as, graced the screens with her cheerful smile. Ivy wondered if her fans would notice the subtle changes her stage persona had undergone. Disks no longer encircled her head, and she had allowed her hair to darken from its previous bright magenta, now closer to a rich mahogany. More subtle though was the smile she now wore.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy had wondered upon observing her at first if the stilted shyness clear on Aroma's face was intended to be some kind of attractive point to her immense fanbase. There was something undeniably uncertain and perhaps even uncomfortable about the way Aroma looked towards the camera. None of that discomfort was visible on this new Aroma, one who looked far more self-assured and confident with how she appeared to others.</p><p> </p><p>Aroma's smile seemed to express something slightly different on the ads where she was side by side with Neko, the cat-themed streamer posing quite closely to Aroma while the idol clumsily though earnestly mirrored her motions. The ads were advertising their union as a first-time collaboration between two famous individuals on the music scene, a union between an acclaimed young singer and an equally-young prolific music producer. Even in the still images, however, the look they shared inferred a union that was somewhat more intimate with the slight hint of awkwardness that suggested it was only a recent development.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy hadn't paid much attention to the details of Aroma and Neko's respective stardoms outside of the crowds of people they attracted, though with the memories of them still intact, she couldn't help but ruminate on the details more.</p><p> </p><p>The audiences the two of them attracted seemed to hold the two young women, who were barely into adulthood, with a kind of reverence that was more fitting of deities, ones worthy of weaving what appeared to be small-scale mythologies based on simple interactions, theorizations, trends, and pictures likely taken out of context. It honestly had perplexed her how so many could fixate so intensely on two otherwise normal human beings who in the larger scheme of the world held no authority.</p><p> </p><p>To think these two Ivy had dismissed as resources would play a role in effectively saving the world.</p><p> </p><p>The amusing thought gave way to something far more sobering as the rows of buildings vanished from view to reveal rows of headstones. Ivy was more than familiar with the pain she felt in her chest now. It felt particularly heavy at that moment.</p><p> </p><p>She saw a girl named Vivi there twice, visiting her sister's grave each time attempting to come to terms with the permanent loss. The girl had seen what Ivy looked like with her hood down, yet she did not react to the slight inhuman elements of her face. Ivy had saved the girl from falling to her death when she slipped over a railing. To her family, she was a heroic stranger.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy realized she had no idea if Vivi was one of the survivors of the attacks. Her mind flashed back to the censored bodies she saw on the newsfeeds while she was being escorted to the interrogation room.</p><p> </p><p>The cemetery was not merely a symbolic reminder. People were attending in numbers far greater than the last time she had visited, so much so that she could see the crowds even from the car window's distant point of view.</p><p> </p><p>To say that the history of the devastating attacks was mostly swept away were merely a physical observation, Ivy realized. The physical scars on the world were healing, but the scars remained in the memories of the people would likely last for years to come.</p><p> </p><p>It almost never did a person good to wound themselves, but Ivy knew she could consider her mind rational. If she didn't acknowledge that the sorrowful mourning faces in the distance were her fault, how could she consider herself a being equal to humanity let alone superior? She could only further question by the Blessed saw fit to attempt to replace humanity when she now knew that their minds were prone to the same folly.</p><p> </p><p>If one could temporarily lose their drive to obtain knowledge as a human could lose their appetite, Ivy would be the prime example. After witnessing the processions in the cemetery, she found herself sliding back into her seat, refusing to look out into the outside world anymore. The interior of the car suddenly looked somewhat distorted, as if viewed through the wrong camera lens. Her movements suddenly felt delayed, like the thoughts were moving too far ahead of her body. There was an uncomfortable tingling in the back of her throat as she shut her eyes.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy was in what appeared to be a party. All of her friends were there. Vanessa was running towards her joyously, ecstatic to receive her arrival...</p><p> </p><p>Her body was hit with an abrupt jolt. She scrambled up in alert, eyes snapping open widely before a vague heaviness descended over her eyelids, threatening to shut them again. Another jolt hit her at the sound of the car door opening. For some inexplicable reason, the noise sounded particularly acute.</p><p> </p><p>"We're here," a blunt voice of presumably an agent said outside. "Get out."</p><p> </p><p>Her limbs felt sluggish, slow to respond to her mental commands. The uncharacteristic looseness had returned to them, preventing them from fully supporting the weight of the rest of her, and yet she could not find a tangible event to link them to unlike the first time. For a moment, it felt as though she was going to crumple the moment she stepped out. Her form just barely managed to remain steady.</p><p> </p><p>Then, just as suddenly, structure returned to her body. It was as though her system had undergone a restart. </p><p> </p><p>Ivy hated to admit that her clumsy display embarrassed her despite the fact that the two agents in front of her were complete strangers she had nothing to prove to.</p><p> </p><p>"What's the matter?" one of them asked. "Got carsick?"</p><p> </p><p>"Don't ask the robot questions," the other one growled. "Come on. Let's get her to her room and be done with it."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy found herself having to comb through her internal dictionary to figure out what "carsickness" meant. She doubted what she was suffering from, especially with how sudden her recovery was, was anything close to what had briefly afflicted her. To her knowledge, androids lacked the facilities to vomit.</p><p> </p><p>The symptoms she felt from the sudden arrival were rather reminiscent of a more abstract and ethereal sensation she was already familiar with. Yes, there was another time when it felt as though she had briefly left her body and entered another life that felt just as natural.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy's eyes widened. Was this what happened when a dream was suddenly interrupted?</p><p> </p><p>The question crossed her mind just as she felt her foot hit a step.</p><p> </p><p>Unbeknownst to Ivy, her body had been following the two agents on a kind of autopilot. She felt her cheeks heat up slightly at the realization that she nearly tripped and fell on her face. It shouldn't have concerned her enough to glance at her two escorts for their reactions, yet she felt relief wash over when their attention seemed to be placed firmly ahead.</p><p> </p><p>With her consciousness returned, Ivy finally became attentive of her surroundings, and immediately they struck her as odd. She could think of no reason why she would be brought to a street hosting rows of what appeared to be apartment complexes, albeit ones that were not particularly glamorous. The exterior walls were colored an unflattering faded beige stained from the runoff of the exterior air conditioning units and lesion-covered rain gutters. The very door in front of her that the agents were unlocking at that moment also had rust coating frame and chipping through the discolored paintjob.</p><p> </p><p>The door unlocked with a harsh and scratch buzz. When the door parted, she was met with a hallway and staircase lit by a series of lighting fixtures struggling to even produce a dim light. The floors suffered from a similar lack of maintenance, the tiles cracked and chipped in spots that were noticeable at just a glance.</p><p> </p><p>Somehow, the atmosphere was still less oppressive than A.R.C. HQ.</p><p> </p><p>This was despite the rows of doors they passes being vaguely reminiscent of rows of jail cells, aesthetics-wise. Ivy wasn't sure if she was thankful or unnerved by the fact that she could hear commotion coming from behind the doors they passed. At the very least, she wouldn't be living in pure isolation from that point forward.</p><p> </p><p>It was the one positive thought that carried her up two more floors. A door designated 341 was revealed to be her destination.</p><p> </p><p>"This will be your new living space," the gruffer agent muttered stiffly, standing in Ivy's path to keep her from seeing whatever code his partner was typing in on the lock. "If we hear a single noise complaint, we're hauling your ass back to HQ. Got it?"</p><p> </p><p>"I understand completely," Ivy responded flatly.</p><p> </p><p>"Freaking smartass robot," she heard the agent mutter under his breath.</p><p> </p><p>It would be a waste of time evaluating an agent she would never have to see again. The energy was better spent evaluating her new living quarters. There were a number of ways ConneR could have interpreted Vanessa's request, and the hallways she passed through implicitly told her that the apartment complex didn't exactly house the wealthiest individuals. All she could hope was to be in a room where she could tell the passage of time.</p><p> </p><p>She could hear the door click and slide open, but the sight was still obscured from her by the agent in front. The only good view she got was of the agent's suited backside up until she passed through the doorway.</p><p> </p><p>The agent seemed to function as a kind of second door, as her room was only truly unveiled after he slid to the side. It perhaps spoke more to her rather short stature that the man actually obscured the light of the room from her vision.</p><p> </p><p>To put it charitably, the room was better than any prison cell Ivy likely deserved. As an android, she was in no need of facilities such as a kitchen or a bathroom, let alone a small couch, television, or closet. In other words, she was given the living space of a human and not even an imprisoned one at that.</p><p> </p><p>"Thank you," Ivy found herself saying automatically.</p><p> </p><p>She just as automatically clamped her mouth shut tightly as the two agents looked down at her with pure confusion.</p><p> </p><p>"What is up with her?" the harsher agent muttered. "Doesn't she know what a dump we're dropping her into?"</p><p> </p><p>"I guess anything would be better than a closet," his partner responded with a shrug as he unlocked Ivy's handcuffs. "You getter make yourself at home. You're not going to be leaving for a while."</p><p> </p><p>She could feel their eyes train on her as they slowly shuffled out of the room, likely in case their prisoner made a break for the open door and into freedom. There was a slight pang of paranoia prodding at the back of her mind that they were waiting for the opportunity to flinch so they could destroy her.</p><p> </p><p>The tension only broke once they shut the door behind them. She could hear the click of the outside lock securing itself.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy was still a prisoner, and yet she felt oddly lighter as she turned back around to take in her new living arrangements in full. What she noticed first was that there were no overbearingly white lights smothering every corner of the room. At that moment, Ivy stood in shadows, staring out into the dull glow of the sun outside the room's window.</p><p> </p><p>It felt like a return to civilization.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Vanessa visits Ivy's new apartment.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Whoever had organized Ivy's room was kind enough to leave behind several towels and cleaning agents, as cheap and off-brand as they appeared to be. Compared to diving into her dreams for indeterminate periods of time, she found the act of meticulously scrubbing away the discolored stains of the kitchen floor and stove the best she could to be a pleasant distraction. To actually be able to interact with her surroundings shouldn't have felt as nostalgic as it was.</p><p> </p><p>To actually be able to see the sunset and know that the end of the day was beginning to approach shouldn't have been such a colossal relief.</p><p> </p><p>It probably irked Ivy most of all to know that her tortuous isolation wasn't an intentional punishment.</p><p> </p><p>Knowing that there were certain stains in her new living space that had clung on far too long to be properly scrubbed away was a close second when it came to ranking annoyances however. Ivy clicked her tongue in disdain as she looked back at the faded dark brown splotches on the stovetop, noticeable even from a distance. She was thankful that Architects didn't constantly need food to sustain themselves.</p><p> </p><p>Nonetheless, the environment didn't look as unsanitary.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy paused at the thought. She recalled resting and sheltering herself in far dingier locations without a second thought, at one point actually huddling inside of a cardboard box in a dingy alley to avoid the rain. Why were her living conditions suddenly such a concern for her? With her memories of the sterile bunker she had first awoken in, Ivy thought she would've developed a full aversion to such an environment.</p><p> </p><p>It occurred to her rather suddenly that she wasn't worried about the state of her apartment room for just her own sake.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy shook her head at the thought as she plopped down onto the sofa for the first time. The cushions felt like they were filled with damp sand, almost stubbornly refusing to mold themselves to the contours of her body. It was bizarre to become annoyed with one's own capacity for discomfort, but it was as though her body had been numb for so many centuries. To be introduced to sensations both painful and wonderful would be a shock after being deprived of them for so long.</p><p> </p><p>Unfortunately, being a prisoner didn't lend itself well to positive sensations.</p><p> </p><p>Her eyes glanced over to the remote lying on the couch's other cushion. While she already knew from hacking newsfeeds that the official statements the A.R.C. put out were regularly distorted or outright fabricated, Ivy at the very least would get some greater semblance of what occurred in the outside world while she was locked away in solitary confinement.</p><p> </p><p>The various lights from the channels she flipped through seemed to have an almost hypnotic effect. She was staring at the screen intently, there were no glitches with her system to her knowledge, and yet she could see the images briefly drift out of focus.</p><p> </p><p>That was, until her eyes spotted a familiar virtual devil-horned robot, the very persona she had quite literally sacrificed in her escape from the former cyTus system's digital security.</p><p> </p><p>"Despite continued speculation from numerous sources," the newscaster said, "Director Smith reiterated during yesterday's press interview that Æsir was killed when the attacking androids suddenly appeared during his confrontation with the Armed Forces..."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy's eyes lit up at the news in front of her. They hadn't announced the existence of the Architects to the world?</p><p> </p><p>"The image of the alleged body that has been circulating online," the newscaster continued, "has undergone an incredible degree of scrutiny since its posting. The source of this leak still has yet to be discovered..."  </p><p> </p><p>Whatever haze had been wafting over Ivy's mind lifted in an instant as she saw the image appear in a separate smaller window. The face and specific wounds were censored, but there was no mistaking the uniform and disheveled combed-over blond hair. She felt something sharply cold run down her spine.</p><p> </p><p>An Architect's memory, unless corrupted, never forgot a detail, especially when it was in regards to someone it interacted with extensively.</p><p> </p><p>Noah Black was a horribly flawed man in many respects, one who had done particularly monstrous things based on the memories Ivy extracted from Aroma. And yet, the man in his last moments willingly sacrificed his life to bring Ivy closer to Vanessa.</p><p> </p><p>No one would ever know of the sinful man who attempted and failed time and again to achieve his repentance. He would forever be the face of Æsir.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy struggled greatly to even call Noah a decent human being, and yet his intent and final actions prodded at her. Ivy herself after all had caused tragedy to an even greater number of lives through actions she deemed necessary at the time.</p><p> </p><p>Was she supposed to just believe that this was justice at work?</p><p> </p><p>Ivy shut the television off right as the newscaster went on to discussing Aroma's break from the Mono record label, rubbing the bridge of her nose as her mind swam.</p><p> </p><p>Her mind drifted back to Vanessa, how she was settling into human society. It was in a human's routine to keep track of current events. Ivy wondered if Vanessa saw the photo when it was first leaked. She wondered if Vanessa would believe Ivy had framed an innocent man. After all, Ivy had already actually done so before with Xenon.</p><p> </p><p>She took another glance around her new apartment, feeling an intense tightness in her chest.</p><p> </p><p>Thanks to Vanessa taking a risk, Ivy was given a living space that could allow her to at least glimpse the outside world, to know the passage of time. Now Ivy couldn't help but feel that Vanessa's gift would be a parting one, a way of showing gratitude for awakening her before she cut Ivy out of her life forever. The only hint of optimism Ivy allowed herself was the possibility that Vanessa had done so with a degree of reluctance.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy let out a deep sigh as she lifted herself off the couch, trudging over to the window. Her legs once again felt like they were struggling to support her.</p><p> </p><p>The window wasn't well-insulated, allowing the noises of the Node to leak through. Her apartment was quite far from the Node's center, but she could still hear the sea of commotion from both the advertisements and the people themselves echoing through the air. The street lights along her block were beginning to turn on now as the sun had nearly completely set.</p><p> </p><p>Her eyes remained entranced they traced the lights further down the block then towards the streets further down then further beyond that. Ivy wasn't quite sure how to define the effect of watching rows of lights one after the other, but the gradual wash of bright lights over the horizon seemed to have a soothing effect on her.</p><p> </p><p>When the lights reached the tallest skyscrapers, they looked just like crystalline spires. There was a slight tingle in the back of her mind as it pulled out a long-buried memory, one that existed before her second forced sleeping session thousands of years ago. Ivy's body tensed slightly as a sea of much more painful experiences briefly came into focus.</p><p> </p><p>She could hear her own breaths becoming labored and ragged as she pushed herself away from the window. There was the temptation to yank the curtains shut, but she resisted the urge. The memory she was digging for wasn't painful as much as the events that succeeded it were.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy's eyes couldn't help but remain locked on the glowing city skyline as it seemed to fade, the blurred image gradually solidifying into a familiar tower, one that stretched much higher. She could still recall looking back at Vanessa's face, a sense of wonderment on it that clashed with the rows of blank-faced Architect models that surrounded them, their attention towards their preprogrammed work rather than their surroundings.</p><p> </p><p>They were talking about the humans they were sworn to serve. Vanessa had seemed particularly drawn to the topic.</p><p> </p><p>When it was just the two of them amidst the sea of non-sentient units, the world was so much simpler.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy brushed her hand over her mouth, touching the upturned corners of her lips. With a small wipe, the memory retreated back into her mind and her smile along with it.</p><p> </p><p>Just as she reached out to close the curtains, she heard a knock at her door.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy had a visitor, let alone one willing to meet her so close to night? Maybe it was some more agents there to make sure that she didn't attempt to abuse their hospitality and make an escape attempt. In that case, she couldn't afford to weigh her options.</p><p> </p><p>The last thing she expected to see was Vanessa shuffling in place awkwardly with her hands behind her back and wide smile on her face.</p><p> </p><p>This time, Ivy had a reason to be embarrassed when she completely lost her footing.</p><p> </p><p>"Hey there," Vanessa greeted, her smile turning lopsided at Ivy's reaction. "Did I, um, catch you at a bad time? You look kind of anxious."</p><p> </p><p>"I-I just wasn't expecting it to be you so soon," Ivy said, her voice cracking slightly as she tried to get back to her feet. In Vanessa's presence, the task was proving to be frustratingly difficult. "What are you doing here so late?"</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa shrugged her shoulders in a rather coy fashion before extending out a hand. "Oh, I just heard from Mr. Neumann that the A.R.C. finally moved you into a better living space, so I decided to come take a look at it myself. May I come in?"</p><p> </p><p>Ivy took Vanessa's hand. A pleasant warmth seemed to pulse over it when Ivy's fingers locked over it. She was shocked how reluctant she was to let go. "Y-Yes, of course you can, Vanessa. Please...make yourself at home. That's how the humans say it, right?"</p><p> </p><p>"I think that's how it goes?" Vanessa hummed as she stepped through the doorway. Ivy noticed Vanessa's free hand return behind her back, making sure to keep her front facing her as she passed by while Ivy turned the lights in her room on. It was fairly easy to conclude that the pink-haired android was making an attempt to hide a surprise.</p><p> </p><p>"Is there some other reason you wanted to visit?" Ivy asked, craning her head past Vanessa's side. It was more to state the implication than to actually take a peak like a curious child.</p><p> </p><p>That wasn't to say Ivy wasn't interested though.</p><p> </p><p>She couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt when Vanessa face fell slightly at the discovery. "Aw, I thought I could surprise you."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy watched intently as Vanessa pulled a small potted flower out from behind her back. The shape of the petals was very similar to the one she consistently wore in her hair but colored white with wavy black stripes instead of blue. Ivy's eyes gravitated towards the center, eyes tracing the thin bright red filaments. The lessening daylight outside her window only seemed to make the flower glow that much brighter.</p><p> </p><p>"Do you...like it?" Vanessa asked nervously.</p><p> </p><p>"I love it..." Ivy murmured in awe as she took the plant into her own hands.</p><p> </p><p>"Ah! I'm so happy!" Vanessa clasped her hands, her smile wide and her eyes round and shining. "I had to make sure the flower would be a good fit. That's sort of why it took me a while longer to visit than I would have liked..."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy was in the middle of lightly prodding the leaves when she suddenly felt that peculiar fluttering in her chest. "How long did you spend picking this one?"  </p><p> </p><p>"It's hard picking up something for someone you can't call," Vanessa grumbled, though her tone was somewhat playful. "Luckily, I found one with your colors."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy blinked then looked back at the color scheme of the flower in her hand. She frowned. An Architect's mind was supposed to analytical. How did she fail to make the connection?</p><p> </p><p>She shook off her disappointment in herself, not wanting Vanessa to interpret her expression as her being unhappy towards the gift she was given. "Where did you find a flower like this?"</p><p> </p><p>"Miss Rin had some growing in her garden," Vanessa responded cheerfully. "She's been experimenting with growing different colored variations of flowers..."</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa playfully prodded the blue flower in her pink locks. "I think she was inspired by this. I remember her saying that she'd never seen a flower that looked like this before."</p><p> </p><p>"Really now?" Ivy remarked with an inquisitive tilt of the head. "I thought she'd be able to identify them."</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa tilted her head in turn, almost exactly mimicking Ivy's motion. The white-haired android had to suppress an undignified giggle. "Because she loves growing plants?"</p><p> </p><p>"No..." Ivy started. It suddenly occurred to her that Vanessa didn't interact with Rin, at least not in the same way that Ivy had. "Did Rin never tell you? She's an OPCI Unit just like us."</p><p> </p><p>"She is?" Vanessa gasped. Her expression was at once shocked and hopeful. "There are more Architects out there...like us?"</p><p> </p><p>"Possibly..." Ivy contemplated. "So far, she's the only other Architect I've managed to discover. But if she doesn't know what the flower is, that means she either doesn't remember the Shelters or she's maybe..."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy's voice trailed off as she thought through the implications.</p><p> </p><p>"Do you think she might be even older than us?" Vanessa asked suddenly.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy paused. Vanessa had just taken the words out of her mouth to her surprise. "Yes. Maybe."</p><p> </p><p>"There was another generation of Architects before us..." Vanessa mused. Suddenly concern crossed her face. "Is that why she's so nervous around people? She seemed so nice around me and Mr. Thakker..."</p><p> </p><p>"Mr. Thakker?" Ivy asked with a curious quirk of the brow.</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa looked at Ivy with slight confusion. "Um, I think you met him? He told me he 'interviewed' you before at least. You know, before they...locked you up."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy found it difficult to look Vanessa in the eyes as the pink-haired android's voice grew quieter. Even without the tears, they looked too familiar to the ones that stared at her when the Armed Forces took her away.</p><p> </p><p>She decided to divert the subject. "Oh, he actually used his first name when talking with me. I could only guess at the time, but do you mean he actually..."</p><p> </p><p>"Knows?" Vanessa finished, her face brightening back to Ivy's relief. "I'm not sure, but Miss Rin seems to be comfortable around him, so I think he'd be okay if he found out."</p><p> </p><p>Her smile turned mischievous. Despite the apartment room only containing the two of them, Vanessa saw it fit to drop her voice down to a whisper. "Actually, I think Mr. Thak... I mean, Sagar might actually want to get to know Rin a bit more. They're already talking about moving in together." </p><p> </p><p>Ivy couldn't quite decide if she should be flustered by Vanessa engaging in gossip or concerned about the complications that would inevitably come from an Architect and human cohabiting the same space.</p><p> </p><p>"That's...interesting," Ivy managed to say. "I guess living together means that their bond is strong enough for trust to not be an issue."</p><p> </p><p>"She looks so happy whenever he's around," Vanessa said with a giggle. "And he sometimes comes around to bring her new flowers."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy could definitively conclude that Sagar and Rin's relationship was less than platonic. However, Vanessa seemed so enamored with the pair's relationship that Ivy didn't have the heart to tell her about the risks involved.</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa's smile suddenly turned awkward. "Oh! I totally got sidetracked! There was something else I was supposed to give to you..."</p><p> </p><p>She hastily rifled through her jacket pockets, chuckling nervously as she did, before pulling out a familiar-looking rectangle. "Here you go!"</p><p> </p><p>"You...You got me a phone?" Ivy couldn't help but gawk, her mind buzzing with the possibilities that came with such a device.</p><p> </p><p>"Yeah!" Vanessa chirped cheerfully. "That way you can keep in touch with everyone else."</p><p> </p><p>"Everyone..." Ivy parroted quietly to herself as she stared at the black mirror in front of her, still not quite willing to take it.</p><p> </p><p>The alliance she made with the humans was brief, and yet she suddenly felt the urge to contact them again, to invest herself in their lives. And now there was a chance to forge a connection, as indirect as it was, right in front of her.</p><p> </p><p>It didn't feel right to take the phone.</p><p> </p><p>"Ivy..." Vanessa murmured quietly. Ivy looked back up to see softer red eyes looking at her with concern. "Is something wrong?"</p><p> </p><p>"Your visit is more than enough," Ivy said quietly. It felt painful trying to force a reassuring smile. "I...I think everyone would be better off if I didn't communicate with them."</p><p> </p><p>"What?" Vanessa uttered in shock. "No, no, how can you say that, Ivy? Everyone misses you!"</p><p> </p><p>"I somehow doubt that," Ivy chuckled hollowly. "Did you talk with Xenon recently?"</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa's outstretched arm lowering slightly, but she refused to break eye contact. The despite the determined look she tried to put on, her eyes were shimmering. "I did. And he said he was thinking about how to forgive you."</p><p> </p><p>The surprise hit Ivy suddenly enough to cause her drop her forced smile. "H-He really did? Why? Our last conversation didn't exactly...end the best."</p><p> </p><p>"I know," Vanessa said softly. She placed a free hand on Ivy's jacket sleeve, tugging on it slightly. "I told you I would always be by your side, remember?"</p><p> </p><p>"Even after you've had more time to process?" Ivy asked dourly.</p><p> </p><p>"Even after that," Vanessa said with a firm nod.</p><p> </p><p>The air around them suddenly became incredibly light. A bizarre temptation swept over Ivy, one her mind could've properly process.</p><p> </p><p>She heard Vanessa let out a squeak. Ivy blinked, her consciousness catching back up. Her eyes widened when she realized she had just unconsciously pulled Vanessa in for a tight embrace.</p><p> </p><p>Was there something infecting her systems? Why was her face overheating so badly?</p><p> </p><p>And yet, the last thing Ivy wanted was to part with her.</p><p> </p><p>She felt Vanessa gently place a hand on the white-haired android's shoulder.</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa's whispered voice in her ear sounded positively melodic. "I know several people who would like to be too."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy instinctually placed a hand around Vanessa's back in turn. The heat on her face was slowly dissipating, becoming replaced by a cooling relief. Her voice came out just as softly, though she felt the voice itself was clipped and grating. "How can you be so sure?"</p><p> </p><p>"I'm not as good at defining why I feel the way that I do," Vanessa responded quietly, "but I feel warm around all of them, even if they're very different from each other in some ways."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy didn't resist as Vanessa gently broke off the embrace so that she may more closely look at the other android's eyes. Their eyes were both red, and yet Ivy always felt Vanessa's were far better at conveying kindness.</p><p> </p><p>"I want you to feel that warmth too," Vanessa said, "at least just a little bit."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy stared down at the phone once again, observing Vanessa's thumbs twiddling over the black screen. "I don't know if the A.R.C. would approve of me having this kind of contact with the outside world."</p><p> </p><p>"You don't have to worry," Vanessa said with a shake of the head. "I talked with Mr. Neumann first before going out to buy one."</p><p> </p><p>"He seems to have an unusual degree of influence over the A.R.C. for someone who's technically a criminal," Ivy remarked.</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa shrugged. "It's kind of weird thinking about sometimes, but I wouldn't be able to live among humans if I didn't meet him."</p><p> </p><p>Regardless of how enigmatic the man remained, Ivy knew she at least owed ConneR that debt. Her defenses were beginning to slip. However, there was one question that needed answering before she surrendered completely.</p><p> </p><p>"Did he ask to see the phone before you came up here?" Ivy asked.  </p><p> </p><p>Vanessa smile became smaller. "He did...but he said it was just to put everyone else into your contacts list so you wouldn't have to keep calling around to get them."</p><p> </p><p>Somehow Ivy doubted it.</p><p> </p><p>On the other hand...as long as Ivy didn't tamper with the phone or install new software, there wouldn't be a need for anyone to worry about her using it for hacking purposes.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy knew that the line of thinking was wishful at best, and yet, after so much initial resistance, she found herself staring at the phone in her hand just a second later.</p><p> </p><p>Another second later, and the phone was on, greeting Ivy with a washed-out turquoise screen with only five icons placed in an organized formation. She consciously brushed her eyes past the internet browser as she zeroed in on the contacts list, all the while she could feel Vanessa's eyes peering intently at the screen as well.</p><p> </p><p>Sure enough, with the exception of ROBO_Head, a robot who very unlikely possessed a phone, everyone who had joined her on her final push to save Vanessa was right there on the list.</p><p> </p><p>"See?" Vanessa commented, relief clear in her voice. "There's nothing to worry about."</p><p> </p><p>"Yeah..." Ivy murmured, staring down at the device as though she was expecting to someone peer into its inner circuitry through raw concentration.</p><p> </p><p>It wouldn't do Ivy any good now to let her paranoia take hold in Vanessa's presence, especially not around a gift the pink-haired android had likely been so excited to deliver.</p><p> </p><p>So Ivy decided to shift the subject again. This time, it was to distract herself. She quickly closed the list, switching over to the phone's built-in camera.</p><p> </p><p>"Hey Vanessa? Could you stand by the window? I want to take a picture."</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa perked up. "Um, okay? Sure!"</p><p> </p><p>With the Node's cityscape now consumed by night, the lights outside shone brighter than ever before. The fluttering in Ivy's chest returned as she saw how the city lights highlighted the side of Vanessa's face. Despite being programmed and designed for precision tasks, Ivy found it inexplicably difficult to keep the phone still, let alone frame it as she envisioned.</p><p> </p><p>The phone's screen flashed almost as though the display itself was blinking. There was a small, brief clicking sound. Ivy could feel a now familiar pulse inside her hasten as she tapped over to the camera's photo gallery.</p><p> </p><p>Despite how uncertain she was of the shot, the resulting picture had the exact effect Ivy was aiming for. There was Vanessa smiling up close just off to the side, and right in the center, appearing about as tall as the android, were the bright spires of the distant cityscape. Against the night sky, they truly paralleled the very structures Ivy and Vanessa had witnessed back when they inhabited the Shelter.</p><p> </p><p>"Wow..."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy jumped slightly at the soft expression of awe. She felt the burning sensation return to her cheeks when she realized that Vanessa had moved right next to her to see Ivy's handiwork.</p><p> </p><p>"Did I really scare you?" Vanessa giggled.</p><p> </p><p>"Y-You just surprised me," Ivy muttered, feeling the urge to pull her hood up.</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa's cheeks were slightly rosy as she giggled again. Despite the heat on her cheeks, Ivy felt a smile form.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Ivy gets a call from Neko.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Every time the phone screen turned back on, and Ivy's eyes cast upon the wallpaper, she felt the peculiar fluttering in her chest. It had occurred enough by that point that she could conclude that the sensation, despite its oddity, was ultimately a positive one.</p><p> </p><p>The picture of a smiling Vanessa standing intently right by the illuminated cityscape at night was supposed to be an image reminding Ivy of her first days with the pink-haired android. And yet, with every passing day, the towers of lights in the center of the picture gradually blurred as the image of Vanessa seemed to only become crisper.</p><p> </p><p>It was actually Vanessa's suggestion to set Ivy's first ever photograph as her phone's background.</p><p> </p><p>"If you ever feel like you're alone," Vanessa had said, "let the picture remind you that you never will be."</p><p> </p><p>As if the name in her contacts wasn't enough of a reminder...</p><p> </p><p>But the thoughts of isolation were legitimately that difficult to shake off, as much as Ivy hated to admit it. She also hated to admit that a portion of her daylight hours had been spent turning her head towards the apartment door as if expecting a polite knock to come a second later right on cue.</p><p> </p><p>Every time she was inevitably let down, Ivy stared back at her contacts list again and remembered that Vanessa would have no reason to visit her apartment again. What was in her room that the outside world couldn't already provide for Vanessa in full?</p><p> </p><p>Ivy sensed that Vanessa was waiting for her to make the first call, to fully establish the link the two of them now shared. The next several days had been spent wondering why she kept putting that fateful call off.</p><p> </p><p>She was more than aware of the passage of time thanks to the rising and waning sun just outside her window, yet she didn't wish to calculate the specific number of days that had passed, the number of hours she wasted not activating the very device designed to keep her connected to the allies she made. At this point, Ivy was completely aware that her isolation was now self-inflicted.</p><p> </p><p>The television was a decent form of distraction. It was understandable that the A.R.C. would refuse to hand her into the lap of luxury, so there were only ten channels to flip through. Ivy considered it an interesting blessing in a way. There was no need to form extensive schedules for which program was going to air on which channel. She had all the time in the world to memorize them.</p><p> </p><p>It was unfortunate then that Ivy could never particularly invest in many of them. After all she had been through, she had little need of fictitious dramas, especially those that attempted to rather poorly pass themselves off as a recording of reality. The documentaries of humanity's supposed history as well served only as a reminder to Ivy about how much of it had been distorted either through ignorance or a genuine attempt to hide the mistakes of the past.</p><p> </p><p>The documentaries regarding the wildlife currently inhabiting the planet did manage to pique Ivy's interest slightly. Perhaps it helped that Ivy was as ignorant of the various fauna being displayed as the various interviewed researchers were. She found herself piecing together the fossils and dissected carcasses alongside the humans in the program, noting the occasionally bizarre ways in which they slowly evolved over the centuries. Though she suspected some egotism to be involved on their part, the manner in which the researchers described their findings had Ivy consider the possibility of humanity's role in the evolution of different animals.</p><p> </p><p>It was whenever these programs switched over the discussing plants, and how they in turn adapted to the ever-changing herbivores and omnivores around them, that Ivy's engagement morphed into something somewhat more wistful. She wondered what the interactions between Vanessa and Rin were like. It seemed obvious that the two of them would bond immediately.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy only recalled ever seeing one kind of flower with Vanessa. It was back when they would visit that lake populated by them, the very one that Vanessa now constantly wore in her hair. Even if Ivy had been the one to introduce the concept, she always felt that it was Vanessa who truly gravitated towards plant life.</p><p> </p><p>This seemed like the kind of program Vanessa would regularly watch.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy could've just asked what Vanessa's typical day was like now that she was among humans. She had gotten a taste of it back in her old prison, but that was only days into her imprisonment, before either of them had fully taken on their new roles in human society.</p><p> </p><p>Now, every time a nature program switched on, Ivy found her mind drifting to the possibilities of Vanessa's possible routines. From her wording, it seemed like Vanessa had gotten to know Ivy's old allies quite well. She doubted that Vanessa spent many if any days alone. Those humans were a particularly storied group, and Vanessa could be introduced to so many different avenues of human life through them alone. </p><p> </p><p>Vanessa was likely waiting for Ivy to make the call, and the best Ivy could do was make assumptions.</p><p> </p><p>Upon reflection, Ivy couldn't help but feel incredibly pathetic.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy turned the phone's screen on again, feeling the warm flutter in her chest as she saw Vanessa's smiling face one more time.</p><p> </p><p>That flutter gave way to chest-tightening anxiety as her context list appeared on the screen. This time, Ivy didn't immediately exit out of the menu.</p><p> </p><p>However, Ivy's mind still managed to somehow rationalize the incredibly irrational decision of not immediately making a call to Vanessa. Her mind argued that Vanessa had visited not too long ago. The last thing Ivy wanted was for Vanessa to think she was obsessive and needy.</p><p> </p><p>Unfortunately, that still left a number of other choices. For a second, her finger hovered over ConneR's name as she contemplated questioning him on how he had managed to keep Vanessa out of A.R.C. custody for so long let alone why the A.R.C. seemed to give into his demands. Then there was the more pressing question of what exactly he had in mind for the pink-haired Architect and possibly for her as well.</p><p> </p><p>Once again, her mind prevented her from making the call. From her observations, the only way she could get the full truth out of a man like him would be to hack into his accounts and read through his personal journals. The thought only served as a reminder of how freely she had invaded the cyTus system in the past, and how just as freely she had harmed those who pursued her regardless of their intentions.</p><p> </p><p>The very concept of hacking now only served to tighten her chest and agitate her throat almost badly enough to make her gag.</p><p> </p><p>Just as she reconsidered her call to ConneR, Ivy was suddenly faced with the realization that she never heard what her ringtone sounded like. She was faced with the realization because her phone suddenly decided to ring at that moment.</p><p> </p><p>The full volume boomed at her through the phone's tiny speakers, the force so sudden that it nearly caused Ivy to toss the device across the room out of pure disorientation. Her mind luckily managed to acclimate quickly enough to force her to stay her hand.</p><p> </p><p>It suddenly hit her as she looked at the name of the called and what she assumed was a social media profile picture that she recognized the particular notes of the looping ringtone. Ivy felt like she hadn't heard the song "V." in ages. She would've thought that all traces of the music she produced as Æsir would've been scrubbed from stores and the internet considering that particular title was now permanently tarnished.</p><p> </p><p>Moving past the familiar tune, there was no mistaking the profile image even without the accompanying name. That pink mischievous cat icon could only belong to one person.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy answered the call and immediately came face-to-face with a relieved Neko, who looked like she had be anxiously pacing around for the past few hours.</p><p> </p><p>"Oh thank God!" Neko cried out, laughing to herself in relief as she ran a hand through her hair. "You took for freakin' ever to answer!"</p><p> </p><p>Here was Neko, greeting Ivy like a friend Neko hadn't seen in ages. It wasn't accompanied by fluttering sensation Ivy had around Vanessa, but the warmth once again returned to her chest.</p><p> </p><p>"I'm sorry," Ivy responded. "I wasn't expecting any calls."</p><p> </p><p>"Well you were obviously waiting for someone to call," Neko huffed. "You haven't made a call or text to anyone for, like, three days straight! You've got a new phone with all our numbers! Shouldn't you be experimenting?"</p><p> </p><p>Ivy shuffled on the couch awkwardly. Why did it feel like more days than just three had passed? "I was weighing my options..."</p><p> </p><p>"For three days!?" Neko exclaimed in disbelief.</p><p> </p><p>"Neko..." a familiar gentle voice called from off-screen. "Are you talking with someone? I could hear you from the other--"</p><p> </p><p>Neko seemed to practically teleport away from the camera. Ivy could hear Aroma squeak in the background, likely at how fast Neko ran up to her. "Ah! Aroma-chan! Just in time! Guess who finally decided to pick up the phone!"</p><p> </p><p>Ivy watched Neko shoot back to the camera, her arm tightly hooked around a frazzled-looking Aroma.</p><p> </p><p>As soon as she brushed some stray locks of hair away from her face, Aroma's confusion instantly gave way to a more subdued but nonetheless pleasant surprise upon seeing Ivy.</p><p> </p><p>"Ivy!" Aroma gasped. "It's so good to finally see you again!"</p><p> </p><p>"It is?" Ivy asked, feeling somewhat uneasy by the casual atmosphere the two young music producers emanated. "You were really looking forward to seeing me this badly?"</p><p> </p><p>"I mean the last time we heard from you things were kind of a mess..." Aroma said, sheepishly scratching the back of her head.</p><p> </p><p>"And then after that," Neko added in with a scowl, "you got tossed in jail!"</p><p> </p><p>Ivy instantly recognized what felt wrong about the exchange. "I invaded the minds of you two, your fans, and your friends and stole and altered your memories without your consent. Don't you think it's only right that I was sentenced for that?"</p><p> </p><p>She had expected the two of them to look at her and then each other awkwardly in the best case scenario. At worst, she expected Neko to hang up, an implicit way of admitting Ivy was right.</p><p> </p><p>She did not expect Neko to respond immediately, let alone shove her face into the camera. "AND THEN YOU TOTALLY SAVED THE DAY LIKE A BADASS!"</p><p> </p><p>The outburst caused Ivy to actually recoil back a bit. She had neglected just how loud the streamer could get.</p><p> </p><p>Neko herself, upon calming down slightly, seemed to look somewhat embarrassed at the small scene she had caused. She awkwardly shuffled a bit out of the camera's frame, allowing Aroma to just as awkwardly slide back in.</p><p> </p><p>There was a look on Neko's face that was at once slightly guilty and slightly embarrassed. "Erm, Neko means that you helped save the day alongside Aroma-chan and the rest..."</p><p> </p><p>Aroma blushed brightly in response. "Neko... Please, you don't have to..."</p><p> </p><p>"What do you need to be so modest for?" Neko chided with a playful nudge of the elbow. "Everyone knows you kicked ass out there in virtual space!"</p><p> </p><p>Aroma gave a rather bashful giggle in response before turning her attention back to Ivy, her expression turning more uneasy. "Neither of us can really explain why we don't hate you despite what you've done to us and so many people. I guess...we only really remember the reason why you did everything."</p><p> </p><p>"Perhaps not all of your memories were restored," Ivy remarked bitterly.</p><p> </p><p>Aroma shook her head. "We both remember everything, good and bad. And I actually have more memories than most, one where I grew up as Aroma...and one where I grew up at Kaori."</p><p> </p><p>Given Aroma's particular shy temperament in the past, Ivy was shocked at how even the idol's voice sounded now.</p><p> </p><p>"Have you decided which you wanted to be?" The question came out automatically. By the time Ivy realized what had left her lips, it was already too late. "I'm sorry."</p><p> </p><p>"Don't be," Aroma responded with surprising swiftness, her smile soft and understanding. "It's a question that's been on my mind too ever since all my memories came back. My original identity as Kaori should be my real one because it was the one I was born with, and yet I can't forget the time I spent being raised as Aroma. Those childhood memories were implanted, but that doesn't change the fact that they were experienced by a girl who is existed but is no longer with us. And she meant so much to so many people..."</p><p> </p><p>She placed a hand to her chest, close to her heart. "To choose to just be Kaori would mean having to sacrifice the memories of the girl who never had the chance to live past the Academy. Neither of us had a choice in becoming this, but I don't think either wants to fully take over if it means leaving the other behind."</p><p>  </p><p>"That would mean living your life as two people simultaneously," Ivy observed. "Is that even possible for someone to do?"</p><p> </p><p>"I'm not really that sure myself," Aroma laughed awkwardly with a shrug. "So far though, it feels like Kaori and Aroma have been two halves waiting for each other the entire time. I remember Kaori being so confident and driven, and Aroma being so gentle and understanding of everyone around her no matter what they did wrong in the past. Together, they feel like a whole person... Me."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy found herself inspecting Aroma's hair more closely, noting the faded magenta dye that made it appear a dark shade of brown except for the very tips. The specific details of Aroma's face were slightly different, but at that moment, she could almost pass as a sister of the girl Kaori Minamiya. One could only imagine a reality when they met as separate people. Would they have helped the other fully self-actualize?</p><p> </p><p>It took a moment before Ivy realized how uncharacteristically quiet Neko had been. That silence was broken when Neko suddenly, for lack of a better word, lunged at Aroma, pulling her body into a tight embrace, nuzzling the side of her neck.</p><p> </p><p>"Aroma-chaaan," Neko whined, "how did you get good with words so quick?"</p><p> </p><p>"N-Neko please..." Aroma laughed nervously as her face turned bright red, "not in front of the company." </p><p> </p><p>Ivy at first was tempted to confirm her earlier suspicions of the two of them entering a relationship closer and more intimate than friendship. However, she suddenly recalled an offhand comment made by Neko earlier.</p><p> </p><p>"Excuse me Neko; did you say Aroma had an encounter in virtual space? Why would she need to access it if Vanessa was purging the protocol?"</p><p> </p><p>Neko halted her barrage of affection towards Aroma as though Ivy had just hit the pause button. The two of them shared a concerned look.</p><p> </p><p>"It's kinda like..." Neko started before her voice suddenly trailed off. She clutched her head irritably. "Gah! Neko isn't a tech kinda girl! That's Brother Xenon's thing! Oooh, why couldn't he be here right now to explain everything?"</p><p> </p><p>"I don't know how to describe it in technical words either," Aroma said uneasily, "but it was like I could feel something trying to escape through virtual space after the weather system was restored. I investigated and found a figure trying to navigate through the Architects for one that was still...moving, I guess. It was blurry, but I knew what it was when I got close."</p><p> </p><p>Aroma's eyes drifted to the floor. "So much hate... It was mumbling just an endless stream of it... It was just like when I accessed the Library for the first time and saw Vanessa."</p><p> </p><p>The painful freeze infected Ivy's system once again, this particular attack strong enough to render her limbs rigid. Her hand was gripping the phone hard enough that she actually feared crushing it.  </p><p> </p><p>"But I knew this...thing I came across wasn't the same as her," Aroma continued. "I could just tell from the shape. Then it looked right at me and...and came after me! It was screaming the entire time about how I needed to die...about how all humans needed to..."</p><p> </p><p>Aroma shivered as she took in a deep breath. Neko put a comforting hand on the idol's shoulder. "All you need to know is that Aroma-chan kicked the thing's ass and now it won't be coming back anymore."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy wanted to ask if they were so sure. She still could flashback to the various encounters with the mysterious entity that had puppet Vanessa. There was that raw hatred for humanity, but beneath that was a personality that was far more malicious. Above all else, she knew that there was a far more meticulous mind behind the misanthropy.</p><p> </p><p>No, the human race was still enjoying their survival. To ruin the relief just to voice a few paranoid thoughts wasn't worth it. It wouldn't matter if the embodiment of the protocol still somehow survived. With the abolishment of the virtual internet and the lack of a core linking every piece of technology, it would no longer be able to cause a physical rampage on that scale ever again.</p><p> </p><p>More importantly, Ivy knew that Vanessa would never be its vessel again. That was the most important conclusion, Ivy felt.</p><p> </p><p>"I-I still have to thank you and Vanessa though," Aroma said suddenly.</p><p> </p><p>"What for?" Ivy asked.</p><p> </p><p>"Neko was kind of exaggerating things," Aroma admitted sheepishly. "I was really struggling against whatever that thing was. In virtual space, it felt like the entity was everywhere at once, but then suddenly, it just frozen in place, allowing me to remove it. Nora explained to me later that it couldn't move through the virtual internet because the core had been removed. You saved so many just by freeing Vanessa."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy froze again, but it wasn't metaphorical ice that was bleeding through her body. It felt...much lighter.</p><p> </p><p>"If you want to know why Neko and Aroma could be friends so easily with Ivy," Neko chimed in, "Neko thinks that's the best reason we could think of!"</p><p> </p><p>How long had it been since Ivy's eyes last felt damp? She knew there was a reason, but she couldn't decide on which one it was. Was it in response to being considered a friend at all? Or did Ivy believe she didn't deserve to be seen in such a light after how badly she had wronged them and so many others?</p><p> </p><p>"Ahh!' Neko exclaimed frantically. "D-Did Neko say something wrong? Why are you crying?"</p><p> </p><p>"You didn't say anything wrong," Ivy sniffed as she tried to wipe her eyes. Despite her tears, she could feel a small smile tugging at her cheeks. "I just... Thank you..."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Ivy reluctantly gives ConneR a call.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ivy's could feel that her eyes were wide open, but she could not move. Her limbs refused to obey her commands. She wanted to lift her head to get her bearings. From the side, she couldn't make out the room she was in. What looked like roots were littering the floor in front of her, but the image was too blurry.</p><p> </p><p>A series of pulses ran down her back, radiating from what felt like wide circular spots tipped with cold points in every center. There was a buzzing in her head, one that was subdued but grew progressively more aggravating as the minutes dragged on. Hundreds of thousands of mechanical voices whispered deep within her ears. Even if she did have control over her arms, she wouldn't be able to hold her hands up to her ears to block the sounds. They did not come from any external source, but rather seemed to be implanted into her receptors.</p><p> </p><p>Those weren't whispers Ivy was hearing, she realized. They were a chorus of screams in the distance. Faded images of fleeing humans and collapsing buildings danced across her vision. Ivy knew she was causing them, but she didn't understand why.</p><p> </p><p>Gentle footsteps approached from the outside world. There was a presence close by, one that felt achingly familiar. She turned her head towards the other figure in the room, but despite her own yearning, she could feel that the movement was not of her own volition.  </p><p> </p><p>Ivy's view was tilted, but there was no mistaking that face. Vanessa's eyes bore down at her with pity. Ivy felt her pulse quicken as Vanessa knelt down and placed a hand gently on her cheek.</p><p> </p><p>However, it wasn't excitement Ivy was feeling. It was dread. Ivy knew why Vanessa was there.</p><p> </p><p>"I'm sorry..." Vanessa's voice hitched. "Please... Close your eyes."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy could hear the distorted base warping the air around her.</p><p> </p><p>With a harsh gasp, Ivy sprung up, her hand scrambling over the side of her head, expecting to feel a messy entrance wound. All she felt was her own hair and skin completely intact.</p><p> </p><p>Her eyes darted around the room as her racing mind slowly sharpened. She was in her apartment, sprawled out on the couch, her body bent uncomfortably against the bulky, rough cushions.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy blinked. She had a perfectly decent bed in the other room. Why did she decide to fall asleep on the couch of all places? Even the floor would've been more comfortable. At least the surface was flat.</p><p> </p><p>Her mind further reoriented. She could now hear the television still on right in front of her, still right on the news channel she had inexplicably dozed off to. The same newscaster as when her mind inexplicably drifted away was still reading through the current events. An hour at most had passed in while she was asleep in other words.</p><p> </p><p>"The A.R.C. have assured all concerned citizens that any and all potential hacking attacks will not physically affect anyone connected online..." the newscaster droned on.</p><p> </p><p>The subject of hacking caused Ivy's rather disconcerting dream to linger in her mind just that little bit longer. She felt past and present fully connect in her mind as she recalled the last conscious thought she had.</p><p> </p><p>Even after a night of thinking things over, Ivy still couldn't understand why she nearly wept when Neko announced that the Architect was completely forgiven in the streamer and the idol's minds in spite of the harm she had caused them. Ivy had genuinely wanted to be grateful to them, but her thoughts kept drifting back to the fact that she had committed a grievous crime all in an attempt to wake a single person, an attempt that only led to an inadvertent further loss of life.</p><p> </p><p>Aroma tried to reassure Ivy, but the android could tell that Neko was frustrated when Ivy insisted that it was not safe for them to maintain correspondence with her.</p><p> </p><p>Was Ivy being unreasonable by keeping her human allies and Vanessa at a distance despite their continued insistence on forming deeper bonds? The question kept spiraling in Ivy's mind.</p><p> </p><p>The thought of pushing Vanessa out of her life was particularly painful. If Ivy allowed Vanessa to become too close, the A.R.C. might consider Vanessa suspicious, likely robbing her of the peaceful life she deserved. If Ivy cut all ties with Vanessa for her safety, Vanessa would be able to live the rest of her life free of the A.R.C.'s persistent gaze, but she may never forgive Ivy for refusing to be a part of it.</p><p> </p><p>There was no pragmatic way for Ivy to spin that could permit her to keep Vanessa as a part of her life, and yet Ivy still insisted on searching for one.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy didn't even consider the possibility of the task being taxing enough to force her body into a state of exhaustion, enough to cause her to drift into a dream.</p><p> </p><p>A minute had passed by that point, but the images of the dream remained firmly etched in her consciousness. Outside of the emotions that came after immediately waking up, this had not occurred with any previous dream she had, which instead faded from memory not too long after she woke up.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy groaned as she rubbed her forehead, possibly hoping that a slight bit of percussive maintenance would finally rearrange her mind into something efficient. She had the definitions in her mind, but she was struggling to remember the exact word they were assigned to.</p><p> </p><p>The news had all but faded into a drone as Ivy turned her head over to the cityscape outside her window. The night sky was still alight. Even without looking at any of the clocks, she knew that there would be hours to go before she could even justify falling asleep again.</p><p> </p><p>She doubted she'd want to fall asleep again so soon anyways.</p><p> </p><p>Her eyes drifted over to the white flower sitting on the kitchen counter close to the wall. Every morning, she would place it in the middle of the room where the daylight rays shone through before shifting it back to an out-of-the-way spot once the sun went down and watering it after nightfall. As Ivy walked over to the kitchen sink to fill her only glass, she pondered why she was so concerned with the possibility of someone tripping over the plant. It wasn't like she would be expecting visitors any time soon.</p><p> </p><p>It took getting a closer look at the flower's shape while pouring the tap water into the soil that Ivy remembered why. While Ivy's phone offered a physical connection to the outside world, the flower felt like more of an abstract though equally powerful connective force. In a way, the flower was like a sister to the blue flower that adorned Vanessa's hair.</p><p> </p><p>No, for some reason the word "sister" didn't feel quite right anymore, but what was a word that could describe a non-familial bond that was just as strong?</p><p> </p><p>For so long, Ivy believed she at least understood her body's nature and functions. Even centuries ago when she discovered free will for the first time, she never felt the need to question the sensations she felt. However, now it felt as though her body was spiraling out of her control, with foreign sensations emerging from her very system nearly every other day.</p><p> </p><p>Self-diagnostics weren't getting Ivy anywhere now.</p><p> </p><p>Unfortunately, there were only two people she knew of who could come close to potentially understanding the mechanics of an Architect's body, and she was incredibly reluctant to contact both of them for reasons beyond her rather self-imposed isolation. It ultimately became a matter of which reluctance she was willing to overcome.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy tried to reason with herself that one would be more receptive to calls at night than the other. Even then, her index finger hesitated for a good few seconds before pressing down on the call icon. A part of her was secretly hoping that he wouldn't bother to take the call as she heard the ringing sound drone.</p><p> </p><p>She felt anxiety rather than relief when ConneR suddenly appeared on her screen. "Ah, Ivy, to what do I owe the pleasure of this late call?"</p><p> </p><p>"I...wanted to test if I could call anyone on the list you provided," Ivy responded more nervously than she would've wanted. Suddenly, her carefully deliberated responses had flown out the metaphorical window. "It seemed suspiciously generous that you would allow me to contact this many people."</p><p> </p><p>ConneR shrugged rather lackadaisically. "Make no mistake; it was for the sake of my own needs. If it's ulterior motives you are investigating, I've laid it out for you already."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy had suspected it, but it didn't feel particularly gratifying to be vindicated, especially not when the wider implications presented themselves. "Does Vanessa have anything to do with your needs?"</p><p> </p><p>"She's the main subject of them," ConneR responded with casual bluntness.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy's hand clenched the phone tighter despite her attempt to keep her voice even. "In what regard?"</p><p> </p><p>"Nothing that involves violating her physical being I can assure you," ConneR said without missing a beat. "I am, however, gaining much more tangible knowledge from her than I suspect the A.R.C. has gotten from you if Vanessa's accounts are anything to go by."</p><p> </p><p>"What knowledge would that be exactly?" Ivy asked, eyes narrowing into a glare.</p><p> </p><p>ConneR didn't look particularly fazed. "Well, it's not every day that someone gets to meet a fully sentient android, is it?"</p><p> </p><p>It wasn't so much ConneR's statements that were beginning to bother Ivy as much as it was his insufferably smug persistent confidence. "You didn't answer my question. What do you hope to find by observing Vanessa?"</p><p> </p><p>"You and Vanessa are the only two Architects I have encountered who have been capable of speaking beyond what most AI scripting would allow," ConneR elaborated. "Even an independently mobile machine such as ROBO_Head draws from a list of pre-programmed phrases during interactions and follows the directives Nora programmed into him."</p><p> </p><p>He chuckled a bit. "Seeing you in the flesh, or rather metal, was honestly a bit of a shock. I had expected to see a much less human face behind Æsir. I certainly wasn't expecting you to resemble a young girl."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy felt her cheeks heat up. "I first awoke in this form. I still don't understand why my appearance or Vanessa's deviated from the other Architects in such a way." </p><p> </p><p>"And that is why I wish to study Vanessa," ConneR said conclusively. "My only prior experience with your kind involved losing an arm and an eye to a group of blank-faced automatons that repeated a single phrase in a mechanical monotone."</p><p> </p><p>ConneR spoke of such a traumatizing experience so casually. Ivy couldn't help but be unnerved. It seemed as though barely anything could provoke the man beyond minor irritation. In a strange way, however, this admittance provided some small degree of comfort. More so than Xenon, ConneR had little reason to trust her word. He could've dismissed her as a more advanced model designed for infiltration and not intervened when Xenon held her at gunpoint.</p><p> </p><p>And yet he was the one to ask Xenon to hear her out.</p><p> </p><p>A crack formed in Ivy's defenses. The question came out far more direct than she initially planned. "What have you discovered about us in particular?"</p><p> </p><p>"I only have a single subject to represent an entire race," ConneR said with faux exasperation. "It's difficult to conclude what is shared among your kind and what is simply an individual's quirk."</p><p> </p><p>"Then what did you find out about Vanessa?" Ivy asked. Again, the question came out far too quickly than it should have.</p><p> </p><p>The archaeologist clicked his tongue. "My, my, eager to find out more about your revived partner, aren't you?"</p><p> </p><p>The heat in Ivy's cheeks flared. "I-I simply wish to know if I can identify which characteristics might be potentially shared among my kind."</p><p> </p><p>"So that's how you've chosen to phrase it," she heard ConneR sigh under his breath. "If you really wish to know a theory, I believe that both of you adopted the physical characteristics of humankind as a kind of adaptation to your sentience, a way of creating a frame of reference for your mental state if you will."</p><p> </p><p>"I see..." Ivy muttered, nodding in an automated fashion. For some reason, what should've been a compelling theory was simply absorbed into her memory storage.</p><p> </p><p>ConneR gave her a rather bemused look in response to her silence. "I did present that particular theory to Vanessa during one of our biweekly debriefings."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy's flickered, briefly widening in surprise but only for a split second before she recovered. Vanessa had never mentioned anything about debriefings the two times she discussed her life in the human world. It definitely didn't seem like ConneR considered these debriefings private considering how casually he was bringing them up. Was Vanessa worried about how Ivy would react?</p><p> </p><p>What she was pondering didn't seem to show up on her expression thankfully, as ConneR continued on without interruption. "Like you, it seems like she was activated with most of her physical appearance already formed, though she wasn't aware of that particular fact until sometime afterwards. According to her, you were the only other Architect who resembled her in any way. I'm assuming you felt the same way? Possibly why you gravitated towards each other?"</p><p> </p><p>At the very least, Ivy still had enough of her defenses intact to prevent her from answering a question that personal. The answer was obviously "yes". She refused to vocalize it.</p><p> </p><p>"Not answering..." ConneR remarked with a bemused chuckle. "Well, continuing on, Vanessa mentioned eventually meeting other Architects that were capable of similar independent thought and possessed more humanlike features to varying degrees, the so-called 'Blessed'..."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy's grip on her phone weakened as her fingers grew stiff. Knowing what Vanessa's last memories of them likely were, she did not wish to imagine what the pink-haired android might have relived just by recounting everything to the archaeologist.</p><p> </p><p>"I should probably tell you that she was somewhat reluctant to elaborate on the subject," ConneR continued on. "It appears that they are a somewhat touchy subject for her. Is there something you would wish to add?"</p><p> </p><p>"The other Blessed don't exist anymore," Ivy responded harshly. The heat had returned, but it washed across her back and over her shoulders rather than tinge her cheeks. "There's no need to look into them."</p><p> </p><p>"I assume your history with them wasn't the best." ConneR smirked. Ivy heard the gentle whirr of his prosthetic arm, indicating that he was gesticulating off-screen. "I suppose we'll just table that particular subject, though that does mean that I've hit a bit of a stumbling block with my research."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy felt no energy welling up that could allow her to snap back. Her defenses that were previously weakened had returned, but the heat had all but dissipated. She had spoken very little, but she felt drained.</p><p> </p><p>"Perhaps that was not the correct response," ConneR sighed. "Well, if you wish for me to only get straight to the point... I currently believe that the longer you exist among humankind, the more like us you will become, both mentally and physically. Considering both of you were seemingly 'born' into these forms so to speak, it seems as though you were specifically made for this purpose."</p><p> </p><p>Such a simple response...had required such arduous build-up. Going through the memories Ivy had extracted from those who interacted with him, it should have been expected.</p><p> </p><p>She should've been frustrated, and yet the response itself had managed to evaporate any frustration in an instant.</p><p> </p><p>"I assume that is the answer to the question you were planning to ask me," ConneR remarked with a wry grin.  </p><p> </p><p>"We were...made to become human?" Ivy muttered quietly. "Architects were designed to serve humanity, not live with them. Why would we be designed this way?"</p><p> </p><p>"That is still a mystery," ConneR said. "I'm not sure why my theory seems to be troubling you. Vanessa was rather enthusiastic about the prospect of becoming more human when I approached her with the theory."</p><p> </p><p>Of course it would be Vanessa's dream to become closer to humanity. However, when it came to herself, Ivy couldn't help but reflect on the new perspectives and sensations she experienced in the wake of her arrest. In Ivy's shoes, the idea of being consumed by humanity's more irrational thought processes unsettled her.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy needed a distraction. Her attention turned to a separate concern. "As a...complete human, do you think that Vanessa is being accepted well enough by humanity? Do you think she has been suffering from any kind of prejudice she might not know about?"</p><p> </p><p>ConneR's prosthetic arm whirred again as he gestured lazily to the eyepatch obscuring his artificial eye. "I wouldn't necessarily consider myself a 'complete human' anymore, though to answer your questions, Vanessa seems to be blending in quite well, as well as a seemingly young girl with a few quirks could at least."</p><p> </p><p>"Quirks?" Ivy parroted in concern.</p><p> </p><p>"The endearing if somewhat confusing kind," ConneR clarified. "She's rather openly enthusiastic about the services and diversions that humanity takes for granted. I can tell you, a lot of clerks, vendors, and shopkeepers were flattered by the compliments she gave them if a bit confused. I'd say she might have even become a favorite customer of some of them, particularly the people running the flower shops. Though it's somewhat odd that she was educated so little on the human world considering Architects were originally created to serve mankind."</p><p> </p><p>"I see..." Ivy responded, finally allowing a bit of relief to wash over. The corners of her lips rose slightly.</p><p> </p><p>"She's also developed a bit of a fascination with fantasy books and TV programming," ConneR continued. "Apparently, she's interested as to why humans would construct new worlds with their own diverse creatures that are so alike the humans themselves yet different in other ways in spite of human civilization itself already being quite storied. Those were her words by the way."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy simply nodded in response, feeling her smile widen. That particular piece of information, she actually had surmised when Vanessa first talked about her experience while Ivy was stuck in her old cell. It was comforting to know that this particular interest lasted even nearly a month later.</p><p> </p><p>"I honestly don't know why you require my services for such a task," ConneR sighed suddenly. "That is unless you are simply that reluctant to converse with her."</p><p> </p><p>ConneR's one uncovered eye nudged to the side, gesturing towards the borders of the phone screen. Ivy grumbled in response to being suggested the obvious.</p><p> </p><p>"I have to say she's been pulling out her phone much more frequently these days," ConneR said. "It's certainly not to text or make a call, judging by my observations. She just keeps turning on the screen as though she's expecting to see a call she missed..."</p><p> </p><p>"I understand," Ivy responded quickly. "My reasons for not calling are...complex."</p><p> </p><p>"Complex in terms of circumstances or emotion?" ConneR asked rather coyly.</p><p> </p><p>"Both," Ivy said bluntly.</p><p> </p><p>"Well a lapse in communication will only hinder my research," ConneR said. "I suppose we'll have to find ways to remedy this."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy's face darkened. "What do you mean?"</p><p> </p><p>ConneR grinned slyly. "For Vanessa, would you consider making a little excursion into human civilization?"</p><p> </p><p>Ivy could only stare at ConneR blankly. "Are you suggesting I break out of my cell?"</p><p> </p><p>"It wouldn't be my first time," ConneR mused under his breath. "No, I've managed an arrangement with the A.R.C. for a temporary release, though only for a single day within the Node you are currently in."</p><p> </p><p>"The A.R.C. approved of this?" Ivy asked skeptically. "Somehow, I think at least some of them would be paranoid about a prisoner potentially escaping."</p><p> </p><p>"Let's just say I've established a few means of keeping track," ConneR responded cryptically.</p><p> </p><p>"And what will you do if I spot and try to block them?" Ivy probed further.</p><p> </p><p>"I believe I have a firm enough grasp of your character to trust that you won't," ConneR said. He smirked. "Besides that, I'm sure you wouldn't want to 'block' the specific means I provided."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy stared down at the phone, not at the man on the screen but the phone itself. She should've guessed he put in more than just a contacts list.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Ivy and Vanessa spend the day together.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ivy expected an alarm of some kind to go off when she exited he apartment room. Only the din of her neighbors behind the thin walls greeted her. She had walked through the hall before, but without the presence of agents, the environment suddenly felt much more foreign, though maybe that was just the fact that she had been given a day to navigate the complex of her own volition.</p><p> </p><p>Nearly a month was apparently all it took for Ivy to truly appreciate the freedom she had when she entered the Nodes for the first time. There was so much more she could've absorbed about this new human civilization, but she had chosen to focus instead on what little was still familiar to her.</p><p> </p><p>Or rather "who", as she remembered the moment she opened the building's front door.</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa was standing right there, shuffling in place bashfully with her hands behind her back. Just her simple bashful body language caused Ivy's pulse to quicken.</p><p> </p><p>"Hey..." Vanessa said shyly. "You...ready to go see the rest of the Node together?"</p><p> </p><p>"Together..." Ivy parroted quietly before hastily composing herself. This wasn't the first time she'd seen Vanessa in-person, she reminded herself. "Y-Yes! Of course!"</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa giggled as Ivy rigidly straightened her body up like a board. "Ivy, you don't have to be so formal out here."</p><p> </p><p>"I-I'm not being formal!" Ivy stuttered. After all this time, she still could not find the proper means to stilling that rapid pulse whenever it appeared. "I-I'm just...nervous."</p><p> </p><p>The joy on Vanessa's face faltered slightly, a twinge of melancholy bleeding through. "It's been a while since you've walked into the outside world, hasn't it?"</p><p> </p><p>Ivy faltered as she pulled her hood up. "N-No, it hasn't been that long. I was driven here around a week ago and was able to see parts of the city from my window. That counts for something, right?"</p><p> </p><p>She forced a smile, though the joints underneath greatly protested it. Something heavy like a stone felt like it had been placed inside her chest as Vanessa didn't seem to respond. All the pink-haired android seemed to do was look back at her for what felt like an eternity.</p><p> </p><p>Then Vanessa snorted. Her lips quivered as her body shook, before she suddenly erupted into a burst of laughter.</p><p> </p><p>"S-Sorry!" Vanessa sputtered between breaths. "Y-Your f-face just looks s-so goofy l-like that!"</p><p> </p><p>Relief instantly washed over Ivy as she dropped her smile, a dejected frown taking its place. Her cheeks heated a tad. "I just wanted to reassure you that things weren't that bad..."</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa wiped her eyes as her breathing finally steadied into a content sigh. "Thank you, Ivy. I'm sorry I brought down the mood like that."</p><p> </p><p>"You don't have to apologize for anything!" Ivy said quickly with a rather frantic wave of the hands. "I-It's fine! I'm just happy to finally be outside with you!"</p><p> </p><p>The words came out without any thought behind them. Those came a second later. She was outside with Vanessa...</p><p> </p><p>This time the smile, though much smaller, felt much more natural on her face.</p><p> </p><p>"I'm happy too," Vanessa beamed back brightly in response. She twirled back towards the sidewalk in a manner reminiscent of a dancer, her head tilted in Ivy's direction. "There's so much I want to show you that I don't know where to start!"</p><p> </p><p>Ivy allowed herself to laugh a bit. "How about we start with what's nearest?"</p><p> </p><p>"That's really not too far from here!" Vanessa said, her face lighting up brilliantly as she gestured Ivy with a wave to follow her. "Come on! We've got the entire day to spend together."</p><p> </p><p>Together...</p><p> </p><p>That word continued to echo through their walk to the first destination. Simply walking side by side with her close companion in a changed world caused something to skitter and flutter in her chest. Though Ivy was too embarrassed by the thought to ever admit it out loud, she had actually fantasized a bit about the sights she would show Vanessa once she had freed her from the Library. It was a juvenile thought, one that was at odds with the harmful actions she had taken in her independent pursuit. She had somehow convinced herself that awakening Vanessa would allow her to simply forget about her prior crimes.</p><p> </p><p>Maybe it was appropriate that Vanessa would be the one to guide Ivy instead. Ivy clearly had been more closed off from the human world than she initially realized.</p><p> </p><p>As reflective of the rather dilapidated conditions of the apartment, the surrounding neighborhood was impoverished and devoid of care. Buildings were simple metallic boxes that had lost their sheen to water stains, scratches, cracks, and rust. Posters of long-past events and graffiti seemed to have merged and faded into the walls they had been plastered on. The presence of daylight only seemed to highlight just how ill-kept the sparse lawns and trees were, emphasizing the strands and leaves that were drying away in stark patches.</p><p> </p><p>The atmosphere should have been depressing and even oppressive, and yet Vanessa seemed to look at her surroundings with the wonder of a child.</p><p> </p><p>"This place just feels so familiar to me," Vanessa chimed suddenly. "Does it remind you of anything, Ivy?"</p><p> </p><p>The question was vague, but Ivy knew the answer almost immediately. "Do you still have fond memories of the Bunker?"</p><p> </p><p>Ivy knew she shouldn't have asked the question aloud. The last thing she ever wanted was to see Vanessa's smile falter again. After everything Vanessa had gone through, the last thing she deserved was to spend a single day unhappy.</p><p> </p><p>To Ivy's surprise, Vanessa's response came out as a happy chirp. "Of course I do! It's where I met you!"</p><p> </p><p>The answer was so obvious, so why was Ivy taken so off-guard by it? She couldn't help but let out another quiet laugh. "I guess those would be nice memories. Is that the reason why you liked the picture I took that night?"</p><p> </p><p>"You mean your phone's wallpaper?" Vanessa hummed. Her smile turned sheepish. "Um, actually... It was just because I thought the lights looked pretty."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy's mouth formed a completely horizontal line. It was as though her lips had been physically sealed shut. She was suddenly struggling to make eye-contact. Internally, she moaned as to why she had to possess both an analytical mind and the capacity to feel embarrassment.</p><p> </p><p>"But I'm not saying you're wrong!" Vanessa said hastily, likely sensing the awkwardness in the air. "I wasn't really thinking deeply about why I liked the picture, but that was probably it."</p><p> </p><p>"You don't have to humor me," Ivy groaned, trying her hardest to sink into the lapels of her jacket.</p><p> </p><p>"I'm not!" Vanessa whined as she lightly shook Ivy by the arm. "You're smart, Ivy!"</p><p> </p><p>They were thousands of years old, but Vanessa at that moment reminded Ivy more of a spirited teenager.</p><p> </p><p>Inexplicably, the juvenile display caused the ever-familiar warm sensation to radiate from her chest. Even as she attempted to gently pry Vanessa off, Ivy's smile failed to leave. "Okay! Okay, you've made your point! I'm smart!"  </p><p> </p><p>"And don't you forget it!" Vanessa huffed.</p><p> </p><p>Seeing Vanessa make pout with her arms crossed brought to mind a much less behaved child.    </p><p> </p><p>"Did you visit Neko recently?" Ivy asked, struggling to suppress her smirk. "You seem to have picked up some things from her."</p><p> </p><p>"She comes to my apartment with Miss Aroma sometimes," Vanessa said, reverting back to her cheerful self with barely a transition. Just as suddenly, her eyes seemed to lock onto something ahead of them. "Ah! There's the place!"</p><p> </p><p>Ivy was so busy looking at her the entire time that she had neglected the destination they were heading towards. Her gaze turned blank when she found out just what that destination was.</p><p> </p><p>"A crepe store?"</p><p> </p><p>It was nothing more than that, just a simple corner store that maintained the same weathered and shabby exterior as the rest of the buildings along the several blocks. If it wasn't for the white sign overhead, it would be impossible to tell what the store offered at an outside glance.</p><p> </p><p>"Yeah!" Vanessa responded with a playful bob of the head. "I was looking up some places near you that were interesting, and this popped up on a recommendation list!"</p><p> </p><p>"Really?" Ivy asked skeptically. The front door's supposed see-through window was too smudged up to even fulfill its function.</p><p> </p><p>"At least try it," Vanessa insisted. "Please..."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy questioned how the pink-haired android was able to get her pleading eyes to look so wide. It turned out she was very vulnerable to them.</p><p> </p><p>To call the crepe store's interior quaint was being generous. The floors were at least swept, and the tables appeared to have been cleaned, but the tiling was riddled with cracks, flaked away at spots to reveal the harsh plaster and gray concrete pavement beneath. And that wasn't getting into the stacks of wrinkled, weathered, and torn cardboard boxes littered the corner of the room right next to the bathroom.</p><p> </p><p>The smells, however, were admittedly quite pleasant. Ivy hadn't been around food enough to properly tell which scent belonged to which item, but the wafts were distinctly sweet and crisp.</p><p> </p><p>"It's empty..." Vanessa remarked quietly.</p><p> </p><p>"No need to rub it in," the middle-aged woman at the cash register muttered.</p><p> </p><p>The atmosphere was so silent that Ivy and Vanessa had somehow neglected the one other human in the store.</p><p> </p><p>"I'm sorry!" Vanessa said with an apologetic bow. "This is a really nice store you have!"</p><p> </p><p>Ivy suddenly recalled ConneR's accounts of Vanessa's interactions with storekeepers, though the feeling was different being present to see her interact with the human world. It was as though the two of them had been programmed to see the world differently. She felt a twinge of envy knowing that Vanessa was somehow able to see a world in such a persistently bright light.</p><p> </p><p>At this, the woman's expression brightened significantly. "Why thank you! It's been a while since I've heard anyone say anything about my place!"</p><p> </p><p>"You must be the owner," Vanessa chimed. "It's good to meet you! I read that your store sells great crepes and wanted to try some out with my friend."</p><p> </p><p>The woman, or rather the owner, was positively beaming. "Really now? It's been so long since I've heard anyone put in any word about my place! You must've been doing some digging to find this place."</p><p> </p><p>"I just wanted to show Ivy a good time," Vanessa said bashfully. Ivy felt something inside her nearly leap out of her chest when Vanessa's eyes glanced intently towards her direction. "She just started living here."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy had been among crowds before, but she had been so used to being unnoticed by everyone around her. At the time, she believed it was simply because it would be more beneficial to have fewer eyes on her movements. With Vanessa freed, Ivy now had to consider the possibility that she simply disliked having any eyes on her at all.</p><p> </p><p>Her entire face went hot as she felt the overwhelming urge to slip into a corner.</p><p> </p><p>The conversation Vanessa had with the store owner ended up becoming drowned out by Ivy's personal evaluations. Vanessa had been around humans much less, and yet she was able to speak to one of them with so much confidence. And Ivy could tell that every word was sincere. The store had previously been somewhat dingy, but Ivy no longer noticed it. Her eyes seemed to drift aimlessly from the menu display to the floor as she became only interested in absorbing the sounds.</p><p> </p><p>She could only really compare Vanessa's sincere voice at that moment to a musician skillfully composing by ear.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy suddenly felt a tap on her arm. She blinked, suddenly seeing a cream and berry-topped folded pancake being waved right in front of her vision. More important was the girl holding the crepe.</p><p> </p><p>Though Vanessa kept the smile, the concern in her eyes was obvious. "Ivy? Are you feeling okay? You became really quiet suddenly after I pointed out that I lived here."</p><p> </p><p>"I-I'm just not used to being put on the spot like that," Ivy stuttered as she awkwardly grabbed her crepe by the wrapper, nearly fumbling it though thankfully nothing dropped out.</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa's face brightened in a bemused way. She leaned in close, so as to not have her word heard by the only other person in the store. "Really? Mr. Neumann and Miss Neko said you practically took the lead in rescuing me."</p><p> </p><p>"T-The circumstances were dire," Ivy whispered back defensively.</p><p> </p><p>She bit down into her crepe, trying to find any excuse to stop the conversation. Her eyes instantly lit up. The only other significant sweet she had remembered eating was an ice cream cone from a dispenser. Compared to that, the crepe was far more complex in flavor. The cream felt so light, allowing it to mix effortlessly with the pancake, while the berries provided bursts of sourness that kept the cream's sweetness from becoming overwhelming.</p><p> </p><p>"Do you like it?" Vanessa asked eagerly.</p><p> </p><p>"I love it..." Ivy whispered as she stared down at the crepe with awe. A store providing food like this was left to rot in such a shabby neighborhood? That felt like an actual crime.</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa's eyes were practically sparkling before she took a bite out of her own. The enjoyment in her voice was audible even without the light blush on her cheeks giving it away...</p><p> </p><p>"Spread the word!" Ivy heard the store owner call out as they left.</p><p> </p><p>"We will!" Vanessa called back with a wave.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy still couldn't bring herself to say a word around the woman, but she was at least polite enough to give an approving nod as she left. She heard Vanessa stifle a giggle as the door closed behind them.</p><p> </p><p>"What is it?" Ivy asked with a frown.</p><p> </p><p>"I guess I just didn't think you were the shy type," Vanessa remarked.</p><p> </p><p>"I didn't think I was either," Ivy grumbled, shoving her hands into her jacket pockets. "I really wished I didn't have the ability to become embarrassed."</p><p> </p><p>"Is that why you still pull your hood up?" Vanessa asked as she leaned in closer.</p><p> </p><p>"That isn't it!" Ivy said hastily before swiftly if clumsily composing herself. "You know my face still has mechanical components attached to it. Don't you think that would get the attention of too many humans?"</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa tilted her head, looking at Ivy's face directly. "It doesn't look that bad, does it? Let me see."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy was rather taken aback by Vanessa's sudden request. "What? B-But what if somebody..."</p><p> </p><p>"I took a look around," Vanessa said quietly as she gently placed her hands on Ivy's jacket lapels. "It's just the two of us out here right now."</p><p> </p><p>Her gentle words seemed to form a barrier around Ivy's mind, keeping her paranoid thoughts from escaping. For some reason, Ivy didn't want to look away from Vanessa's face at that moment even to confirm if what the pink-haired girl had said was true. "O-Okay... But make it quick."</p><p> </p><p>Out in the middle of the sidewalk, Ivy felt exposed as her hood fell back. Vanessa's brows furrowed in concentration for a second like she was appraising Ivy before softening into that familiar smile. </p><p> </p><p>"I've met several humans who gave themselves facial markings to give themselves distinct identities," Vanessa said. "Yours kind of look like theirs. That just means they're a way to show that you're unique."</p><p> </p><p>"Vanessa..." Ivy breathed. She had hidden the panels on her cheeks away out of fear of being discovered. That was what she had told herself time and again. So why did she feel such warmth hearing Vanessa describe them in such a way?</p><p> </p><p>Suddenly, Vanessa rubbed her thumb across Ivy's cheek. The white-haired android let out what could only be described as a squeak. </p><p> </p><p>"Sorry," Vanessa said sheepishly as she revealed a small white smudge on her finger, "I just noticed there was a bit of cream there."</p><p> </p><p>Then she licked it off.</p><p> </p><p>For whatever reason, the innocuous action warranted a pause from Ivy.</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa took notice, looking slightly confused at the bout of awkward silence. "I'm sorry. Did you want to eat it? I should've asked."</p><p> </p><p>"It's nothing," Ivy said, shaking her head of its brief lag. "Was there some other place you wanted to show me here?"</p><p> </p><p>Ivy's face lit up. "Oh yes! There's one more place close by I really wanted us to see!"</p><p> </p><p>The entire way over to the destination, Ivy never pulled her hood back up. The thought had completely left her mind. Even as visible evidence to the contrary passed by her as they walked from block to block, it felt as though just Vanessa and her moving through their own little world.</p><p> </p><p>To suddenly be reminded of the past in such a fond way... What was that particular feeling called? "Nostalgia"?  </p><p> </p><p>The first thing Ivy heard was running water. There was a certain dampness in the air that smelt particularly stiff and earthy.</p><p> </p><p>"There it is!" Vanessa pointed out enthusiastically, practically dragging Ivy along with her.</p><p> </p><p>Upon brushing some of her tangled white bangs out of her eyes, Ivy immediately understood Vanessa's enthusiasm.</p><p> </p><p>In the middle of the seemingly rundown neighborhood, gated off by a short bridge, was what could only be described as an oasis, a patch of land meant to appear as though urbanization had left it untouched. The trees were of a distinctly deep shade of green and somewhat taller than the ones dotting the streets, practically masking the midday sun.</p><p> </p><p>The body of water below that was too large to be a pond yet too small to be a lake was a reflection, adding an aqua hue to the dark mass that was only broken in patches by the gray-blue sky. However, Ivy did not feel intimidated looking down at the water from over the bridge's railing for dark waters in turn allowed the flowing specs of pollen and waterborne flora appear that much brighter. Though the water possessed a green tint, it was not toxic but rather seemed inviting to life.</p><p> </p><p>"It's not the lake," Vanessa admitted with an apologetic smile, "but it's pretty close to one, right?"</p><p> </p><p>Ivy and Vanessa were sitting by the waterfront at the time. The lake was a mirror of the sparsely cloudy sky above, glittering and shimmering brilliantly. Bright petals practically swirled around them in the gentle breeze. Ivy could still picture the flowers swaying beside them.</p><p> </p><p>She was not looking at anything resembling the lake in the present, and it didn't matter a bit. "It's...nice having a place like this close by."</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa hummed softly in response. They were leaning on a railing as opposed to sitting on a flowery hillside, but the effect was very much the same. It wasn't just warmth in her chest and on her cheeks Ivy felt as Vanessa's head slowly leaned Ivy's shoulder but rather her whole body. Ivy still didn't quite understand what the sensation was, but she felt it enough times to conclude definitively that it was one to embrace.</p><p> </p><p>It was strange however. In her memories, Ivy could never recall feeling anything other than comfort from that time spent on the waterfront those thousands of years ago.</p><p> </p><p>There was, however, one way to make their experience similar to the one they shared those centuries ago. Ivy eyed the flower in Vanessa's hair before glancing towards the banks surrounding the water.</p><p> </p><p>"Is there a way down there?" Ivy asked after a moment a deliberation.</p><p> </p><p>"I think so?" Vanessa said uncertainly. "Is there something you want to see up close? I don't think there'd be enough space down there for us to sit."</p><p> </p><p>"I just want to pick something..." Ivy said.</p><p> </p><p>Having a flower so dependent on water in tow halted their further exploration of the Node as the two androids instead made a dash back to Ivy's apartment.</p><p> </p><p>By the time the brief moment of panic had subsided, the sky had begun to turn orange.</p><p> </p><p>"Sorry that I cut our trip short," Ivy said awkwardly as they observed the plant float in a sink filled with musty water. "There was probably a lot more of the Node you wanted to show me."</p><p> </p><p>"I don't mind," Vanessa said with a shrug. "Trying to save this flower was honestly a lot more exciting than I thought it would be!"</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa's smile helped dull the regret Ivy felt but just. What could've been a whole day had been mostly exhausted just because Ivy decided to take an unwarranted risk.</p><p> </p><p>Everything had been sacrificed for a single small pink water lily. When Ivy saw the flower, all she could think about was the flower Vanessa had gifted her before. It was not a logical line of reasoning, but upon seeing its composition and color, all Ivy could think about was how much of a nice companion the lily would make.</p><p> </p><p>Despite it not being tethered to the earth, the lily was firm and orderly in its construction. Its petals were straight, narrow, and numerous, organized in two circular layers around the pistil. The soft vibrant colors belied the almost machine-like manner in it was constructed.</p><p> </p><p>It was the complete opposite of the flower sitting in the pot off to the kitchen countertop's side, one whose color scheme was built off of harsh contrasts of stark whites and blacks with a center of scarlet stalks and yet appeared so much looser with its wide wavering petals.   </p><p> </p><p>The last time they were on the waterfront, Ivy had picked a flower for Vanessa, a light blue to contrast with her pink hair. It only felt natural for Ivy to pick one for herself, a splash of color to contrast with her own head of spiky white strands, so that they would match.</p><p> </p><p>The lily was right next to the blue flower's white counterpart. Two flowers could exist side-by-side. It would hopefully be for more than a single day.  </p><p> </p><p>"I could...travel back to my apartment to get a bowl," Vanessa suggested. There was slight hint of reluctance in her tone.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy could easily understand why. "How...far is it exactly?"</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa looked out the window, her smile fading. "It would be night by the time I get back."</p><p> </p><p>"Then...I really did waste time," Ivy sighed.</p><p> </p><p>"No," Vanessa said, her voice suddenly firm. "I got to spend all of it with you. I could never consider it a waste."</p><p> </p><p>That determination had returned to Vanessa's eyes. Ivy was left as stunned as she had been the first time she witnessed it. Was it that Vanessa had become more strong-willed by her exposure to humanity, or had Ivy become frailer?</p><p> </p><p>Before Ivy could think further, she was pulled into a tight embrace. Like a kind of magnetic field, she could feel the presence of Vanessa's lips close to her cheek. A tingle danced across Ivy's skin, causing her to shiver slightly.</p><p> </p><p>"I'll be back soon," she whispered.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy reluctantly watched Vanessa depart out the door. That last look Vanessa gave back to her before the door slid shut told her the reluctance was mutual.</p><p> </p><p>The room became quiet once again. Ivy realized the only conversation she had with Vanessa over the phone was when Vanessa had told her she had arrived that morning.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter 10</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Aroma tells Ivy what the gang has been doing.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ivy's eyes remained on the lily floating the wide basin even as she poured water onto the potted flower. It was honestly quite a surprise to find out that Vanessa apparently just had a bowl that wide in a cupboard. She hadn't been able to properly express it at the time, but Ivy felt the strong urge to initiate a second embrace upon seeing Vanessa at the door once again.</p><p> </p><p>So strong was it in fact that for a brief moment, Ivy swore she had rushed over, only to blink and realize that the event had never occurred. Ivy was still by the counter, and Vanessa was waiting to be allowed in. Inexplicably, Ivy had somehow had experienced a vivid dream while her eyes were still open.</p><p> </p><p>The sound of pouring water suddenly sounded different, as though it were dribbling onto a much harder surface. Ivy looked down, seeing dirt-covered water pooling across the counter. She had overwatered.</p><p> </p><p>Her grip tightened around her now half-empty glass of water. An Architect was built for completing tasks with an efficiency most humans were not capable of. How could she make such a basic error?</p><p> </p><p>Was this a consequence of her sensors being too occupied? After all, she had been looking through her memories while the newscaster was droning on in the background.</p><p> </p><p>"As of this time," the newscaster continued, "the estimated date of the library database's restoration has not been announced, leaving potentially tens of thousands of Academy records corrupted..."</p><p> </p><p>This was the second mention of a "library" Ivy had heard since her awakening. The thought of the news showing concern for the preservation of human history was rather humorous in a bitter sort of way considering how much of it had already been distorted. Ivy still couldn't be sure if the distortion was intentional act on the part of the A.R.C. or just a fundamental misunderstanding of past events on their part. Their track record pointed to either being a possibility.</p><p> </p><p>The reports of spam comments on social media and corrupted web pages had become progressively more prevalent in the past few days. From where she stood, Ivy could only theorize that abolishing a system that had been so heavily depended on had caused more than its fair share of issues.</p><p> </p><p>Well, she could do more than just theorize. The icon on her phone told her that access to this altered version of cyberspace was no more than just a tap away.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy thought that her prior memories of her journeys through the digital world would've deterred her significantly enough. There was already so much pain associated with the realm, pain in particular that she had inflicted onto others.</p><p> </p><p>As an Architect, she possessed a more intimate link to technology than most organic life would. It wasn't merely that she could still remember her crimes that she had committed in virtual space. Ivy could still faintly feel the scars she had left behind in it. The virtual internet being abolished only meant that no one was allowed to access it. That didn't magically erase it from existence.</p><p> </p><p>Even if she would be looking at this space through a separate window, the metaphorical glass was still thin enough for her to see the cracks only she could comprehend.   </p><p> </p><p>Ivy could never use the phone to reenter the digital space, she declared to herself.</p><p> </p><p>There was still a more palatable way for her to engage in the outside world, if only in the relative sense.</p><p> </p><p>Part of Ivy hoped that Aroma would be too occupied with her return to stardom to answer her phone in the middle of the day.</p><p> </p><p>It took only three chimes for her to answer.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy would rather not ruminate on just how awkward the introductions were, with both sides trying to figure out the best way to say "hello". It wasn't exactly easy to make a greeting sound casual when the person calling wasn't exactly known for their consistent communication.</p><p> </p><p>What Ivy was really waiting for was a particular question. Luckily, she didn't need to coax it out of the question out of the young idol. "Is there something you wanted to talk about?"</p><p> </p><p>Unfortunately, because of how fixated Ivy was on the question, she hadn't properly figured out how to answer it. "I guess... I just wanted to hear an update about how you and Neko have been doing. Maybe a bit about the others if you can. We really didn't talk about any of that when Neko called me last time."</p><p> </p><p>"We really didn't," Aroma sighed before perking back up. "Well, what would you like to hear about first?"</p><p> </p><p>How did these conversations usually go? Ivy was not accustomed to what the humans referred to as "small talk".</p><p> </p><p>"Tell me how everyone has been doing."</p><p> </p><p>It was a short sentence, but what it called for couldn't be considered "small" by any metric.</p><p> </p><p>Perhaps it spoke to the constitution Aroma possessed now that she had recovered Kaori's identity, but she surprisingly took to the daunting task without hesitation.</p><p> </p><p>Though Ivy could already surmise aspects of Aroma's growth as it was visibly the most obvious, to hear the idol's own description of how her life had changed in such a short time was still illuminating. It had actually been Aroma rather than her sister and manager Helena who had made the decision to break away from Mono. Aroma seemed rather embarrassed to admit that she had become particularly loud when the head of Mono attempted to frame Aroma's decision as a product of brain damage. The entire time, Helena backed up her decision fiercely during the progressively heated negotiations, citing something about poorly handling PAFF's fanbase after the idol had run away in search of her true identity.</p><p> </p><p>In spite of Helena's complicity through inaction in Kaori's nonconsensual conversion into the original Aroma White's duplicate, Aroma was rather insistent on still considering the woman her sister. And their relationship only seemed to have improved since Aroma's returned to her household. Ivy would never dare reveal it, but she had gleamed enough of Aroma's memories to know just how distant the relationship between the two siblings had been since the replacement had taken the original Aroma's place, with Helena becoming particularly controlling over her younger sister's life. It seemed as though this had changed since Aroma's return, with Helena now secure enough in her sister's newfound independence to allow her to move into a separate apartment. Even though Helena had remained in charge of overseeing Aroma's scheduled performances and promotional events, discussions of Aroma's career no longer dominated their interactions.     </p><p>  </p><p>When it came to said subject of her performances now, there seemed to be a kind of passionate spark in Aroma's eyes that she previously never had, all uncertainty gone as she almost got lost in discussing the finer details of what she was working towards with her next performance.</p><p> </p><p>Aroma apologized for getting off track. Ivy said there was no need to.</p><p> </p><p>It was somewhat funny now that Ivy looked back. In her accumulated memories from Aroma, it appeared as though the idol had slowly fallen out of love with singing, but now that love had seemingly returned stronger than ever. It seemed that when Kaori's memories awakened, so too did her other half's love of singing.</p><p> </p><p>The conversation wasn't solely about Aroma however. Their allies as well had lives to lead. Aroma obviously didn't know every detail, but it felt as though everyone who had been involved had since then developed a new...wrinkle of sorts to their established routines.</p><p> </p><p>Though she continued her career as a streamer and music composer, Neko seemed to have finally begun taking her first steps into full adulthood. Despite being 20, she always seemed to carry about her the energy of someone much younger, with the emotional intelligence of one as well, something that didn't appear to have gone away based on the last face-call they had. In spite of this, she was apparently well on her way to graduate from the Academy after a multitude of prior delays and failed exams. Evidently, Aroma being a consistent presence in her life made learning her subjects much easier.</p><p> </p><p>The streamer and composer was already discussing with her future plans beyond even their planned music collaborations and a possible independently-produced full album release. One of those plans came about directly in response to the tragedy that had occurred only over a month ago.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy didn't know whether to feel further guilt-ridden over the lives she had indirectly torn apart with her actions or pleasantly surprised and warmed by Neko actually pooling together her resources and large viewer base from her performances and music sales to set up a foundation to help said lives. Even on paper, it was quite a daunting proposition for someone so young. Then again, for someone like Neko to begin her career while she was a teenager, she would need some ounce of ambition.</p><p> </p><p>In comparison, Xenon seemed to have scaled his personal ambitions back significantly. Ivy couldn't help but at least partially had to take the blame for his departure from A.R.C., having gotten him incarcerated by framing him for her crimes, no doubt completely disillusioning him to the organization he worked for. She could feel her core almost physically retreat further into a kind of pit as she recalled how she went as far as to tamper with his memories to make him believe he was Æsir. As a systems administrator with enough knowledge to rise up the ranks, he could've brought about a small revolution of his own, perhaps even reform the virtual systems in ways Ivy never considered. In technical prowess, they were alike in so many ways.  </p><p> </p><p>Then again, there was always the possibility that his departure had nothing to do with the A.R.C.'s actions and everything to do with a certain someone...a girl he loved who was now gone. That was all on Ivy's shoulders.</p><p> </p><p>Aroma seemed to notice Ivy's particular expression, as she immediately insisted that Xenon was doing well for himself as a full-time musician. The idol just as quickly added that Xenon's sister, Shannon, was also making a full recovery after being nearly catatonic for so long. Apparently, she had started to become receptive to the outside world shortly after Vanessa was disconnected from the cyTus system.</p><p> </p><p>It did make sense why. Shannon's condition, from what Ivy gleamed from Xenon's memories, was some form of post-traumatic stress caused by trauma sustained while connected to virtual space. With humanity now cut-off from the realm, the source of her trauma no longer existed.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy hated how the whole scenario seemed surgically-designed to ease her guilt. It wasn't in any way Aroma's fault, and it hurt Ivy on the inside more to see the idol's subdued despondency at Ivy's discomfort to what were supposed to be comforting words.</p><p> </p><p>Still, Aroma continued to recount.  </p><p> </p><p>It was finally revealed just why the outside world appeared so quiet, even the rundown neighborhood Ivy had been transported to. Crime had simply ceased in its rampancy. Though most unfettered and violent of them, the very same who had kidnapped and trafficked the girl who would become the new Aroma White, were cowed not by the rampaging Architects and drones but by a single man.</p><p> </p><p>Apparently, even in the smallest of ways, Ivy had managed to wrong every member of Xenon's circle. The last time they had interacted, he had attempted to give her what she assumed in retrospect were some words of comfort, and she responded by stealing his tip jar.</p><p> </p><p>Joe Miller, the man who had been nothing but the owner of a self-titled bar the first time Ivy met him, had in fact taken up the mantle of mediator between the various criminal factions, ensuring that in their efforts to survive, they wouldn't stoop as low as to leech from the impoverished communities.</p><p> </p><p>In fact, he had taken to his responsibilities so well that he found time to practice playing bass, which he hadn't returned to in years. According to Aroma, Neko had been pushing for Joe to start up a small jazz band in his bar to enhance the atmosphere. Thus far, the streamer's efforts had been ineffective.</p><p> </p><p>And it turned out that Joe wasn't the only one returning to music as a result of their responsibilities easing. Nora, the chief of the Kyuu Hou Kai research group, had begun to compose music while her team recovered from the attacks, perhaps as a way to ease the minds of those reconstructing and upgrading their facilities now that they no longer had to contend with the Mogura crime organization.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy didn't doubt that Nora's creation, ROBO_Head, played a part in her return to composing considering Aroma received this update to Nora's life from the machine rather than the creator. It still came as a surprise to even come to that conclusion, however. It was true that ROBO was capable of acting autonomously, but he was still restricted by various pre-programmed parameters, unlike the awakened Architects. She hadn't even considered the possibility of the robot actually being capable of forming a familial attachment.</p><p> </p><p>Perhaps it was just as closed-minded of her to consider that a man like ConneR would be resistant to the idea of broadening his horizons.</p><p> </p><p>Contrary to Ivy's personal depiction of the man, ConneR seemed to have opened up enough to work with a woman named Sasha, someone from his past he had previously cut ties with. Ivy's couldn't tell how reliable Aroma's account was, though evidently he communicated with this woman quite differently. Aroma couldn't quite describe it, though Ivy could guess that Sasha was now the only person in his life who he couldn't ever be condescending to. Knowledge that someone like him could set aside his personal pride and talk with someone as an equal honestly felt like wish-fulfillment.</p><p> </p><p>"Mr. Neumann managed to find some new ancient string instruments too," Aroma added cheerfully. "I think he's planning to conduct another concert soon."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy raised an eyebrow. "Isn't he still at odds with the A.R.C.?"</p><p> </p><p>"It is kind of weird when you remember that," Aroma laughed nervously while scratching the back of her head. "He kind of never brings it up."</p><p> </p><p>"I guess there are some things that are still constant about the guy," Ivy sighed. "It's still strange hearing him apparently work with someone rather than just manipulate like he usually does."</p><p> </p><p>"I think something as major as the attacks was bound to change everyone in at least some small way," Aroma said with a slight shrug. A small smile appeared on her face. "I think you did too."   </p><p> </p><p>Ivy frowned. "I... I guess I have. I just wish I had something to show for it."</p><p> </p><p>The last words were supposed to have come out as a whisper, meant for more herself than Aroma. The idol still heard them. "What do you mean?"</p><p> </p><p>Ivy couldn't understand half of the words that came out of her during conversations anymore. How did one describe speech that came out without a proper cue from the consciousness?</p><p> </p><p>She took a second to mull over what she had just said. Shockingly, she managed to find the reason. The explanation proceeded to simply pour out of her. "I'm serving my time for what I have done, while Vanessa gets to live among humanity. Her freedom was my goal from the beginning, so why does it not feel like I've done enough now? Hearing about how all of you have been figuring out ways to grow and give back to the world in such a short time... It just makes me feel like I've done nothing, despite supposedly changing alongside all of you."</p><p> </p><p>"I see..." Aroma said quietly. She looked towards the floor, very obviously trying to figure out a solution to Ivy's unsolvable predicament.</p><p> </p><p>It only added to unpleasant sensation swirling in Ivy's abdomen. "I-I shouldn't have put all of this on you. I'm sorry..."</p><p> </p><p>Aroma only shook her head in response. "No, no... I'm happy you could tell me this."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy blinked. Her voice turned cautious. "Why exactly?"</p><p> </p><p>"I just like that you're starting to be more open about these kinds of things," Aroma said softly. Ivy was significantly older, but it felt in this one instance that Aroma had taken the role of the wise elder. "I...I know what it's like to hold in thoughts because you think you'll just be a burden to everyone else. But I want to tell you that you only end up feeling like you're being torn apart in the end. Whatever you are feeling right now... I want to tell you that no matter how much you don't deserve to be heard, you'll always have people around you willing to listen."</p><p> </p><p>Aroma truly was the older of the two in this moment. Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say the idol had grown more quickly in such a short time. Ivy could only mutter in response. "I want to find a way to try."</p><p> </p><p>"We'll support you every step of the way," Aroma said with a gentle smile. She glanced hesitantly to the side. When her attention returned back, there was a hopeful look in her eyes. "I know this is out of nowhere, but does this mean you...want to be friends with us?"</p><p> </p><p>Ivy paused. There was that offer again, the one that she still could not properly comprehend.</p><p> </p><p>Then again, there was much about herself that Ivy was now uncertain of. With every passing day ever since she awakened Vanessa, her complex emotional responses gradually overrode her machine-like logic.</p><p> </p><p>"It would be problematic for many of you," Ivy finally answered.</p><p> </p><p>Aroma's eyes turned downcast. "I understand..."</p><p> </p><p>"But..." </p><p> </p><p>The idol's eyes flickered back to life.</p><p> </p><p>"If you're willing to take the risk," Ivy finished, her voice becoming increasingly quiet, "I wouldn't be against the idea..."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy could very faintly hear a quiet relieved sigh as Aroma's lips widened into a full smile. "Let's talk again soon."</p><p> </p><p>The room suddenly became much more unbearably quiet the moment the face-call ended.</p><p> </p><p>It was the kind of atmosphere that could only accommodate reflection. Her tangle of abruptly developing complex emotions didn't feel like they could be straightened through just a simple conversation. It was not only a matter of Ivy not believing she deserved to express her troubles, but rather the fact that she currently had no idea how to do so.</p><p> </p><p>Her allies, no companions, had all achieved a degree of self-actualization since the roles they played in combating the murderous protocol. Ivy searched for a commonality between them, some key element she could possibly apply to herself, one that wouldn't leave her yearning to break out into the greater world.</p><p> </p><p>The answer came almost immediately.</p><p> </p><p>It was music.</p><p> </p><p>The directions they had all taken in their respective lives were all indicated by a return to the particular medium. In a way, it was a return to an earlier point in their lives, a time before most of them endured their respective traumas. And for those such as Neko and ConneR, who simply continued their established careers in music, it served as a kind of stabilizing influence, almost more like an activity intended to reenergize them rather than a job. </p><p> </p><p>Ivy had made use of music as well after she had developed a goal for herself. She bit her lip when she remembered just what that music was used for.</p><p> </p><p>She could still remember the pulsing beats she emitted through the virtual space, the way her music tore through and rearranged the data representations of the human mind.</p><p> </p><p>As an actual distortion of her emotional wavelengths, her compositions only served to distort and destroy. With every warped bass drop and beat, there was a thread of trauma from her past, disorientation over her new surroundings, or a hint of her desperation in rescuing Vanessa.</p><p> </p><p>She had ignored the specific words of acclaim the music she produced as Æsir had amassed, merely seeing an audience she could manipulate for data. It was only now that she was able to properly reflect on them.</p><p> </p><p>Despite counting on the large attendance, Ivy still had no idea why she was certain Æsir-FEST would attract such a vast crowd. Ivy never had the wish to be in the spotlight, and yet now she felt a twinge of pain knowing just how many were left confused, concerned, and even frightened when she had failed to even appear on the virtual stage in any capacity.</p><p> </p><p>Even if Æsir's fans had only loved a shadow, they nonetheless had flocked towards her. How could an artist who expressed nothing but pain and confusion attract so many so quickly?</p><p> </p><p>Pain could destroy, but she now realized it could also connect. Though they likely couldn't comprehend why, the humans who listened seemed to find solidarity in the expressions of sadness and misery she produced. They likely never endured what she had to, but she could not discount how each of them found an element of their own life in the music she composed. Knowing that there was someone out there who seemed to understand the pain they were going through must have been comforting.</p><p> </p><p>But as Ivy realized now, pain wasn't the only form of connection people could, or rather should, have. She had experienced so much more since her stint as Æsir, felt a growing network of emotions that she was still struggling to articulate even to herself. Speech could only convey so much, but music was capable of reaching anyone who was willing to listen.</p><p> </p><p>Perhaps even she would be more receptive.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy made another phone call.</p><p> </p><p>"How did you continue to produce music while also carrying about illegal operations?"</p><p> </p><p>"My, isn't that daring of you? Are you not afraid that this call might be monitored?</p><p> </p><p>"I am taking a calculated risk with this."</p><p> </p><p>"A risk? Yes. Calculated? Absolutely not."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Chapter 11</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Ivy struggles to compose.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Architects possessed a far more intimate connection with other machines than most humans, capable of discerning all their functions and idiosyncrasies from simple contact. It made sense considering the role they were supposed to play in the reconstruction of human civilization.</p><p> </p><p>Why then was Ivy struggling with putting the instruments in front of her to use?</p><p> </p><p>Ivy had already taken such a huge risk gathering the resources to begin composing music once again, but now with the means in front of her, she found herself unable to make use of any of them. Every time she attempted to make a connection, she was only met with what amounted to a void.</p><p> </p><p>She was an ancient being. She should've had an endless degree of patience. However, right now, she suddenly felt a burning desire to physically toss every instrument out her window. There was no time limit, and yet every hour of time wasted on returning to an empty internal composing space felt like an incalculable loss.</p><p> </p><p>Maybe it was because, regardless of the free will she possessed, she still had a directive that guided her.</p><p> </p><p>That directive was a simply proclamation.</p><p> </p><p>A machine that did nothing would be left to rust.</p><p> </p><p>Just the thought that this was the sign she no longer could function was enough to cause a sensation similar to joints unhinging. The control was gone, leaving them dangling uselessly to her sides.</p><p> </p><p>She was useless in other words.</p><p> </p><p>The instruments were in front of her. Her eyes were looking straight at them. But her mind refused to apply any appropriate label. It didn't have the need to acknowledge wasted resources. She didn't even acknowledge the keyboard she had just thrown her head into.</p><p> </p><p>Music had defined her just as much as her companions. Alongside them, her work had been celebrated. They seemed so alike in that one key area, so why was it that they all seemed to ease back into their roles as musicians, singers, and composers after the dust settled, while Ivy's mind and body refused to?</p><p> </p><p>Ivy's head shot back up. It was like the conclusion had just physically fallen on her head, violently stirring her from her stupor.</p><p> </p><p>For once, she was filled with anticipation rather than reluctance as she waited through the phone chimes. It was the kind of agitation that caused her leg to shake uncontrollably like she had a surge of electricity had shot through her back.</p><p> </p><p>"'bout time you called Neko!" Neko exclaimed proudly the moment she appeared on screen.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy winced a bit, still not used to Neko's volume over the phone. Still, she couldn't help but find relief that she had called at an opportune time. "I-It's good to see you too. Am I interrupting anything?"</p><p> </p><p>"Who's that on the phone?" a familiar feminine voice asked; a voice that was not Aroma.</p><p> </p><p>An Architect did not need to breathe, but it had become an unconscious routine by that point. In that moment, Ivy felt was it was like to have the routine hitch. That distant voice was beyond familiar.</p><p> </p><p>"Not at all!" Neko said cheerfully, flashing a smile that showed her peculiarly sharp canines. "In fact, hold on. I'm makin' this a group chat!"</p><p> </p><p>She turned her head away from the camera loudly hollering the words that caused in intense fluttering sensation to stir in Ivy's chest. "Yo Vanessa! Ivy's here to see you!"</p><p> </p><p>Ivy heard a series of footsteps pad across what sounded like carpeting. In a blur of pink and white, Vanessa was right there on camera hastily brushing away her bangs and fixing her flower back into place. And off in the lower corner of the screen was Neko, a mischievous grin plastered on her face as her eyes darted back and forth intently, likely waiting for one of the two androids to speak the first word.</p><p> </p><p>To the white-haired android's surprise, Vanessa didn't have a greeting for Ivy. All she did was blink at her, completely wide-eyed as though Vanessa was staring at a cryptid. Did Ivy look like that much of an anomaly over the phone?</p><p> </p><p>Perhaps in her confusion, Ivy forgot about the hesitation she was feeling. "Hello Vanessa."</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa blinked again before suddenly shaking her head, sending her pink hair tumbling again. She looked rather embarrassed by the entire display when she finally stopped. "I-I'm so sorry, Ivy! I don't know why I did that! It was like my mind just froze when I...saw you."</p><p> </p><p>"Was Vanessa left stunned by Ivy's beauty over the phone?" Neko teased.</p><p> </p><p>"I..." Vanessa started, her cheeks reddening as she broke out into a few nervous giggles as she looked back at Ivy. Or rather, she seemed to be struggling to. "I was just stunned by seeing you want to talk to me...on the phone. Um, how are you doing? Did you want to talk to me about something?"</p><p> </p><p>Ivy wanted to just get Neko's input on composing music, but that was the last thing she wanted to say to Vanessa's face at that moment.</p><p> </p><p>She wracked her memory, attempting to just pull up one topic, any topic that could produce a short conversation, anything for Vanessa to believe Ivy had intended to speak with her. In Ivy's now tangled mind, fabricating an entire reason was easier than informing her that the whole situation was organized without their knowledge by a certain meddling, grinning third party.</p><p> </p><p>The subject of music and Ivy's memories of Vanessa seemed to intertwine like weaving strings. Ivy's eyes widened as the topic came to mind. "Vanessa? Have you tried singing before?"</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa blinked blankly at the question. "You mean like Miss Aroma? No, I haven't. Why?"</p><p> </p><p>Ivy felt her face heat up. Once again, the words had escaped her before she could understand their meaning. Her response came out quiet and without confidence. "I just remembered what it sounded like when you talked with the owner of the crepe store we went to. It... How you talked had an almost entrancing effect."</p><p> </p><p>"I-I do? Really?" Vanessa's face was completely red now, likely matching Ivy's own. "That's just how I've always talked... I think."</p><p> </p><p>"It really is a pretty voice," Neko chimed in. Then her face suddenly lit up like she had found a missing puzzle piece as she pushed her face back into the frame, Vanessa sliding out with a squeak. "Oh! That's why Ivy called me! You're getting back into music, Ivy? That's so cool! It'll be like the return of Æsir!"</p><p> </p><p>Hearing another person shout out the name in a positive context caused Ivy's synthetic skin to prickle. "Could you please not word it like that?"</p><p> </p><p>Neko's excitement dropped almost instantly as likely the memories associated with the name ironically came crashing back into her mind. "I-I'm sorry... That's not something you want to remember, is it?"</p><p> </p><p>"An Architect can't forget," Ivy sighed. As obnoxious as Neko's unrestrained energy could be, it was still caused a pang of pain in Ivy's chest to see the moments when it was extinguished. "But yes, you were correct. I've...been looking into composing again. I was hoping to call someone who I could talk to about it."</p><p> </p><p>"Really?" Ivy swore she saw the cat ears on Neko's headband perk up. There was a look of elation on Neko's face, almost euphoric. She was barely into adulthood, and yet she looked like she had been waiting for such a moment over the course of a lifetime. "Well then, what sort of guidance can Sensei Neko and your cute girlfriend provide for an up-and-comer like yourself?"</p><p> </p><p>"Girlfriend?" Vanessa murmured in the background somewhat sheepishly.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy was admittedly not too well-versed in the word, but from the context and Vanessa's reaction, she could tell that it meant something different than Vanessa simply being a female companion.</p><p> </p><p>That was inquiry for later. She couldn't afford to stray off course any longer. "How do you begin structuring your compositions?"</p><p> </p><p>Suddenly, Neko's confidence visibly wavered. "Uh... Neko doesn't really think too much about the compositions beforehand? She's more of a 'go with the flow' kinda girl? Like, whatever sounds good, Neko puts in?"</p><p> </p><p>Ivy raised a brow. "Are you advising me to improvise rather than plan?"</p><p> </p><p>Neko moaned as Vanessa awkwardly placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Neko thought you needed help choosing equipment and figuring out music terminology..."</p><p> </p><p>"I suppose that does explain the...spontaneity of your music," Ivy conceded. Her shoulder slumped as she found herself falling back into her couch. "In a way, it is no different than how I used to create my compositions."</p><p> </p><p>At this mention, Neko's head shot up, fully alert. "So what Neko said made sense?"</p><p> </p><p>"Certain figures of speech are still a new concept for me," Ivy responded, "but I am aware of this 'flow' you speak of. It was perhaps more literal to me than to you, however. At least it was while I was connected to the virtual internet..."</p><p> </p><p>She felt a kind of grime creep up her body at the mention of the realm she had violated.</p><p> </p><p>Neko, on the other hand, was leaning close to the camera, raw child-like curiosity on her face. "Tell Neko how to turn her flow into music."</p><p> </p><p>Seemingly forgetting the fact that they weren't physically in the same room, Ivy backed away from Neko's overly enthusiastic face. Wasn't Neko supposed to be the one teaching her?</p><p> </p><p>"Unfortunately... I think that's an ability on Architects possess, more of an extension of our closer connection to technology," Ivy explained, holding her hand out as a kind of symbol of this connection. "In virtual space, I could manipulate my own memories and emotions into compositions because my mind is physically a machine as well."</p><p> </p><p>It was a mechanical, matter-of-fact kind of explanation. Ivy did not expect to see both Neko and Vanessa looking at her in complete awe.</p><p> </p><p>"Turning our thoughts and feelings into music..." Vanessa murmured. "We can do that?"</p><p> </p><p>"Not quite so directly anymore due to the abolishment of the virtual internet," Ivy corrected, wincing as she saw a slight hint of disappointment on the pink-haired android's face. "That doesn't mean we can't translate our thoughts into music though. It won't be a direct translation, but instruments can still function as tools of expression."</p><p> </p><p>Though Neko at first shared Vanessa's look of disappointment, her face quickly shifted to an expression that looked...optimistic? "So you're like one of us now?"</p><p> </p><p>It was a different context, but that specific question was achingly familiar. "Do instruments serve a similar role in the hands of humans?"</p><p> </p><p>"Well, not everyone," Neko muttered, aiming a verbal barb at some adversary Ivy didn't know of. "But for the best of the best, music has always been all about that. That's kind of just been our deal when it comes to making anything."</p><p> </p><p>Neko had possibly intended for such words to be inspiring. Instead, it felt as though Ivy's core was physically sagging. The white-haired android had assumed that humans had some different approach to composing music, an alternate methodology that Ivy could adopt to replace the impotent one she currently possessed.</p><p> </p><p>It was all but confirmed now that such a solution did not exist.</p><p> </p><p>"Ivy?" Vanessa asked, leaning in with clear concern on her face. "Is something wrong?"</p><p> </p><p>"D-Did Neko say something wrong?" Neko asked nervously.</p><p> </p><p>Seeing both of their worried faces only caused the heavy sensation in Ivy's chest to intensify. "You didn't say anything wrong... But I don't think there's anything anyone can do to help me."</p><p> </p><p>"What's wrong, Ivy?" Vanessa reiterated, now the one moving closer to the phone screen.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy buried her face in the palm of her free hand, unable to look at Vanessa's eyes anymore. "I can't manipulate my memories into music anymore. I still possess them, but every time I search, I just enter a blank void..."</p><p> </p><p>She heard fingers snap.</p><p> </p><p>"Ooooh! You're suffering art block!" Neko proclaimed, laughing in relief. "Geez, why do you have to make everything sound so dire, Ivy?"</p><p> </p><p>"Art...block?" Vanessa asked.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy slowly raised her head back up, witnessing the sight of Neko talking with an attentive Vanessa like a tutor.</p><p> </p><p>"Well the creative engine can't work every hour of every day," Neko explained. "If you had a new idea all the time, you'd just get super exhausted or go crazy. So sometimes, you just have days where you can't think of anything."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy piped in. "Are you saying my condition...is temporary?"</p><p> </p><p>Neko grinned, flashing a thumbs-up to the screen. "Yup! Nothing to worry about!"</p><p> </p><p>Seeing Vanessa let out a sigh of relief caused Ivy to unconsciously mimic the motion. However, the relief Ivy felt was comparatively miniscule. "Is there nothing I can do but wait for this 'art block' to disappear?"</p><p> </p><p>Neko's grin faltered. "Is someone forcing you to compose? Do you have to get it done really soon?"</p><p> </p><p>Ivy's grip on her phone weakened. It felt physically painfully just getting the words out. "I...I just feel like I'm... I need to atone for what I've done, for the harm my music has caused. You of all people should know what kind of damage it caused, Neko."</p><p> </p><p>Despite the unpleasant memory Ivy likely had scrounged up, the cat-themed music producer's frown in her direction seemed to be more of an expression of disappointment. "Ivy, we've been over this. You helped save the world. That's more than enough for Neko to forgive you."</p><p> </p><p>"I'm aware of that," Ivy sighed as her eyes fell down to her chest, like she was peering into her own systems. "However, my responses as of late have not been...rational. There is this urge, this drive inside of me that won't simply accept forgiveness. All of you have used music to bring so much joy to the people around you. I wanted to do the same..."</p><p> </p><p>"Ivy..." Vanessa voice called out softly.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy looked back up to once again see Vanessa's concerned face. The white-haired android felt that familiar pulse as she stared deeply into Vanessa's gentle eyes.</p><p> </p><p>"I'm not sure if I understand what you're going through correctly," Vanessa said, "but I think the reason you've been struggling to compose is that music isn't bringing back good memories."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy's eyes widened. Vanessa had understood perfectly, while Ivy had lagged behind. An entire conversation had been wasted on attempting to bypass a perceived error in her operations, when in reality, the problem had arose from a psychological connection, an error of the tangled web that was her developing mind and not the systems that allowed her to complete her objectives.</p><p> </p><p>How could she construct music intended to bring positive emotions when the only music she had composed up until that point had only been to cause pain?</p><p> </p><p>However, identifying the cause of a problem was only a single step. "If I have no positive memories, how can I hope to make the music I need to?"</p><p> </p><p>To Ivy's surprise, Neko side-stepped out of the frame entirely, allowing Vanessa to give the other android her full attention.</p><p> </p><p>True to what Ivy had said earlier, Vanessa's voice was a beautiful melody, warmth and compassion radiating from every word. "If you can't bring up any happy memories about yourself, maybe you could think about your memories with me? Of us together attempting to discover the world? Did those times bring you happiness like they did for me?"</p><p> </p><p>Ivy's eyes suddenly felt wet. Within her mind, it actually felt like a flood had billowed through. She couldn't eek out more than a whisper as she nodded. "Yes..."</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa raised a hand up, about ready to hold it closer to the screen, before retracting it with a rather sheepish giggle. "Sorry. I almost forgot that touching the screen during calls screws up the camera."</p><p> </p><p>Whatever had been weighing down Ivy's core had suddenly lightened. A laugh escaped her lips as she wiped the tears away. "It's okay. I actually wish I could...touch hands with you too."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy looked down at her hand, though not to emphasize a point. It only occurred to her a second later how little she knew of the gesture, and yet upon seeing Vanessa about to raise her hand to the screen, she felt the strongest compulsion to match the pink-haired android's hand with her own, fingers perfectly lining up. In her mind, she could envision their fingers intertwining. She knew the gesture was affectionate, but it felt stronger than a simple display of friendship or even a sisterly bond. The name of this stronger bond still eluded her.</p><p> </p><p>"Wow!" Neko suddenly called out from off-screen. "Neko didn't know you could even laugh, Ivy! How'd you pull that off, Vanessa?"</p><p> </p><p>"It just sort of happened," Vanessa said, shrugging bashfully.</p><p> </p><p>Even further off-screen, Ivy heard the sound of a door sliding open. She heard Aroma's voice in the distance. "Neko? Vanessa? Who are you talking to?"</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa turned her head to the off-screen presence. "Ah, Miss Aroma! We have Ivy on the phone right now. Do you want to come see her?"</p><p> </p><p>Like the door Aroma had just exited, Neko and Vanessa slid aside to allow the idol to enter the frame. Ivy noticed that Aroma's hair was dyed and tied back into a slate gray ponytail, the very same hairstyle she had worn during their alliance and perhaps a few months earlier than that. After having used her wavy hair dark brown and loose as a way for gauging time, Ivy felt like she had just been sent slightly back into the past. Aroma was even wearing a similar-looking unzipped jacket.</p><p> </p><p>"Your hair..." Ivy murmured. "You changed it back."</p><p> </p><p>"O-Oh that," Aroma stuttered slightly in surprise, twirling her ponytail in her fingers a bit. "Yeah, it's the look I decided to go with for my non-stage performances."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy tilted her head. "Non-stage performances?"  </p><p> </p><p>"That's right!" Neko happily proclaimed. "Aroma-chan's also doing indie stuff. No fancy beats or technical stuff. It's just a good ol' public performance with Hayato on drums."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy's eyes widened briefly as Neko's description conjured up a particular set of images, memories that had previously been obscured deep within Aroma, the last memories belonging exclusively to Kaori. Minus the hairstyle, at that moment, it felt as though Kaori was truly the one Ivy was now seeing.  </p><p> </p><p>"It was nice seeing you again, Ivy," Aroma said with a slight bow of the head, "but I need to be there on time. I'll see you all later?"</p><p> </p><p>"Knock 'em dead, Aroma-chan," Neko chimed.</p><p> </p><p>Then she leaned in and lightly kissed Aroma on the lips. Their eyes were both closed at that one moment, seemingly oblivious to the company present.</p><p> </p><p>"Thanks Neko," Aroma giggled as she departed out of frame. With a more distant voice, she called out, "See you tonight!"</p><p> </p><p>Neko sighed happily as she saw her partner off, looking like her mind was lost in another world. It took her a good few moments to shake of the daze she had entered into, letting out a self-conscious chuckle as she looked at the two androids still by her.</p><p> </p><p>"Neko's sorry," she said apologetically. "Uhhh... Before things kinda went off-track, did you manage to get something useful from the whole thing?"</p><p> </p><p>Ivy thought back to the words Vanessa imparted then to Aroma's change in appearance right before ending on her and Neko's kiss. It was as though they were portions of a code unlocked something deep within her mind. She couldn't define what this particular force was, but she envisioned it being quite bright.</p><p> </p><p>"I did," Ivy said quietly with a small smile. "Thank you."</p><p> </p><p>Neko smiled widely as she pumped her fist into the air with victory. "Neko's a mentor! Wait until Xenon hears about this!"</p><p> </p><p>Before Ivy ended the call, she saw Vanessa's face beaming at her, eyes glimmering excitedly. "I can't wait to hear it when you're finished."</p><p> </p><p>That last image in particular became the first thread as Ivy's makeshift music studio came to life for the first time in an eternity.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Chapter 12</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Vanessa hears Ivy's new song. Then Ivy gets a call.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ivy listened through her composition for the hundredth time. By now, she had all but untangled the memory strands it was constructed from, freeing it from any segments of grating discord. It was markedly different from the music she had composed in the past, devoid of the deliberately harsh and discordant drops in favor of gentler electronic pulses that gradually built up to a flowing piano composition that escalated further to the echoing strums of the electric guitar.</p><p> </p><p>It was far gentler, meant to flow rather than disorient despite the beats-per-minute still varying from phase to phase. The inclusion of the guitar was intended to mark triumph and optimism rather than despair.</p><p> </p><p>These melodies and beats weren't created from Ivy's emotions, at least not directly from her own feelings. The song was a theory, her attempt to understand the possible emotions and growth of the other figures that inhabited her memories. Every phase was a different amalgamation of her companions, their personalities as well as their evolution written into every establishment and build-up.</p><p> </p><p>And tying every phase together, the melody that switched in tempo but never departed, was a very specific memory in particular; the one that persisted not just through the years but through the centuries. It was during the last phase that this person finally spoke, voice fragmented and echoing though not grating.</p><p> </p><p>After all, Vanessa's voice was beautiful even if she had never sung before.</p><p> </p><p>This was to be not only Ivy's true debut but Vanessa's as well, and a new chapter needed to be marked by a summary of what occurred before and a teaser to what the future held.</p><p> </p><p>It seemed only appropriate for the song to be titled "Preface".</p><p> </p><p>Of course, it wasn't much of a debut when she was the only one who could hear it. Unfortunately, listening to her creation on loop did very little to quell the dread she felt at the thought of releasing it to the public.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy obviously had no intention of keeping such work to herself. After all, Vanessa said she was looking forward to the song when it was finished.</p><p> </p><p>There was a knock at her door. Speaking of Vanessa...</p><p> </p><p>"Hey~" the pink-haired android chimed cheerfully the moment the door opened. "Are you ready to show me?"</p><p> </p><p>Ivy had expected Vanessa's presence at the door, and yet the white-haired android still felt her pulse quicken dramatically the moment she was presented with Vanessa's actual physical appearance once again. It hadn't been too long since Vanessa's previous visit, and yet it still felt like an event for the pink-haired android to be setting foot in her living space.</p><p> </p><p>"Y-Yes, of course..." Ivy stammered as she awkwardly extended an arm out to present her workstation to her guest.</p><p> </p><p>It was merely a fold-up desk holding a laptop and mixing board situated alongside a keyboard and a currently-charging hologuitar, all of which were in rather shabby condition, dented frames, flickering lights, and small stains indicating their origins as tools that had already passed through several somewhat irresponsible hands. Ivy hadn't minded their physical appearances at the time, more relieved that they retained the functionality. With Vanessa as a witness however, suddenly the presentation felt overly-lacking.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy didn't know whether to be relieved or surprised when she saw Vanessa's eyes glittering enthusiastically. "Wow... It looks just like Miss Neko's studio..."</p><p> </p><p>"Y-You really think so?" Ivy could only ask.</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa nodded back with a wide smile. "Yes. It all looks very professional."</p><p> </p><p>Her smile turned wistful as she opened her eyes back to Ivy with what could only be described as a look of pure awe. "You're a professional music maker... That's... That's just amazing."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy let out a cough despite having no obstruction in her airway. Irrational instinct told her it would clear the awkward mood she could practically feel around herself. "I'd hardly call myself that. I've made only one song."</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa's energy only seemed to increase despite the intended self-depreciation of the statement. "Oh! That's right! Am I allowed to hear it?"</p><p> </p><p>The pink-haired android was bobbing in place like an eager child. Despite her incredible insecurity, Ivy couldn't help but acquiesce to the gesture.</p><p> </p><p>"Of course you're allowed," Ivy said, though her rigid movements as she presented her headphones to Vanessa betrayed the hesitation she attempted to keep out of her tone. "H-Here. These will help you hear the music better."</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa enthusiastically put them on as though they were a birthday present. The small skip in Ivy's pulse, seemingly in response to the sight of the pink-haired android's eager expression, caused her motions to become clumsier, to her chagrin. There was a notable sensation of joint-seizing dread as she reached for the "PLAY" icon.</p><p> </p><p>With the headphones plugged in, there would be no way for Ivy to judge the quality of the music for herself, to catch any potential hiccups. Even after the number of times she had heard it on loop, the entirety of the composition should've been ingrained into her mind. And yet, the aching, persistent thought that something could go wrong constantly drilled at her.  </p><p> </p><p>Ivy didn't even know what kind of music Vanessa gravitated towards. Would she despise the song's mix of genres?</p><p> </p><p>Her eyes rapidly darted to the pink-haired android's bright red eyes for a possible hint of judgment, only to find that they were gently shut. Vanessa's body swayed side to side lightly as she held the headphones close to her ears. It was as though she had entered a kind of meditative trance.</p><p> </p><p>Inexplicably, Ivy only now realized that Vanessa was quietly humming Preface's primary melody...the part that was her embodiment. Did Vanessa gravitate towards this strand of rhythm with the knowledge that it was about herself, or did she merely find the sound pleasant?</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa's head leaned back a tad as if embracing a kind of invisible wave washing over her. Even though she couldn't hear it, based on the exact minutes that had passed, Ivy could surmise that the pink-haired android had just passed the transition into Xenon's portion and heard the echoing strum of the holographic guitar strings following the build-up.</p><p> </p><p>Some abstract idea manifested in Ivy's mind as she continued to attempt to read Vanessa's slight changes in expression and body language. The pink-haired android was not simply silently appraising her work but rather seemed to have been transported into a separate realm. Ivy physically shook her head slightly in response, having no idea where such a flight of fancy came from.</p><p> </p><p>Suddenly, Vanessa's eyes snapped open. It was a soundless gesture, but Ivy had become so invested in attempting to gauge Vanessa's enjoyment that she actually recoiled. Vanessa didn't seem to notice despite her eyes being open; still lost in whatever fantastical world Preface had conjured up for her. The expression of surprise was clear on the pink-haired android's face.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy's eyes widened in turn as she calculated the amount of time that passed. Vanessa could now hear the distorted murmurings sampled from her voice. It was clear just from her face that Vanessa instantly recognized it.</p><p> </p><p>The white-haired android felt as though her core had hollowed out. It was only then that she realized what she had done. She had taken Vanessa's voice without her consent. Was that horror on Vanessa's face as she realized the breach in trust?</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa's voice was the closing phase of Preface. Ivy would have her answer soon enough.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy felt as though her breath was caught in her throat as Vanessa slowly slid the headphones off.</p><p> </p><p>Her eyes were glistening. Her voice cracked slightly as she spoke. "Ivy... I don't know what to say."</p><p> </p><p>"Vanessa," Ivy whispered. "I'm sorry--"</p><p> </p><p>She let a squeak of shock as Vanessa pulled her into a tight embrace. "It's beautiful..."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy felt her eyes burn. Her vision went blurry. "You're not angry that I used your voice?"</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa looked back at Ivy with surprise. "Why would I be angry about that? These are your memories. I'm... I'm just so happy that I'm part of them."  </p><p> </p><p>It was Ivy's turn to be surprised. "Why wouldn't you be a part of them? You're the most important person in my life, Vanessa."</p><p> </p><p>The last words almost literally took Ivy's own breath away as her comprehension came in. Her core pulsed almost violently as the meaning resonated inside of her like a frequency. However, Ivy couldn't consider these sensations distressing. In fact, despite it being the likely source, she didn't want the embrace to break.</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa's lips parted slightly, only to shut as her eyes drifted away from Ivy's. "No, never mind. It's too silly to think about."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy was tempted to ask, but the subject had caused Vanessa's eyes to avert. The last thing she wanted at that moment was for the distance to grow between them.</p><p> </p><p>There was a palpable sense of relief when Vanessa's eyes shifted back to Ivy with that optimistic glint, even as their embrace broke off. She clasped the white-haired android's hands firmly into her own with a look of raw determination.</p><p> </p><p>"You need to show this to everyone!"</p><p> </p><p>And the relief had now all but completely vanished. It was now Ivy's turn to struggle looking Vanessa in the eyes. "I...I'm afraid to."</p><p> </p><p>"But the song is amazing!" Vanessa pressed. "Why would you be afraid of anyone hearing it?"</p><p> </p><p>Ivy bit her lip. Her words came out at an agonizingly slow rate. "You already know what happened the last time I spread music. I can't just send another song out without thinking about what happened..."</p><p> </p><p>"But you don't want to hurt humans anymore," Vanessa insisted, clasping down on Ivy's hands tighter. "I can tell from the song that you want to help them heal."</p><p> </p><p>"It doesn't change what I already did," Ivy said morosely. "And now another song will mysteriously appear on the internet. What will people think about it now after what has happened before?"</p><p> </p><p>She had expected Vanessa to at least flinch at the question, to grow hesitant at the realization of how difficult the situation truly was. After all, Ivy had been struggling for days now to properly define her hesitation towards releasing Preface.</p><p> </p><p>To her surprise, Vanessa answered immediately. "Give them a face behind the song then this time. Don't make it a mystery of who you are this time."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy could only look at Vanessa flatly in response. "Do you mean that I should just expose the existence of the Architects to the masses? Do you realize the effects that could have on your life?"</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa shook her head. "That's not what I mean. People shouldn't care about what we are, just who we are. And I know they'll love who you are once you reveal yourself to them."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy shook her head, in turn. Though she felt Vanessa's resolve was worth idolizing, she could not share her optimism. "I doubt they'll accept Æsir, no matter how repentant she claims to be."</p><p> </p><p>It might have been the first time Ivy had seen Vanessa look annoyed. "Do you remember what I told you before, Ivy? That's not all you are. You're not Æsir. You're Ivy."</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa continued to all but state the simple solution. Ivy could feel her phone's presence radiating, specifically a certain app that would allow her to connect to the masses. The temptation felt like ice crawling up the spine of her metal frame...</p><p> </p><p>"Ivy..." Vanessa suddenly said softly. "Are... Are you afraid to go online?"</p><p> </p><p>Ivy gasped, realizing just how far her mind had drifted from her body. It wasn't only because of that realization, however. At most, Ivy had been staring blankly into space. How could Vanessa come to such an accurate question?</p><p> </p><p>"How did you come to that conclusion?" Ivy asked.</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa let out a nervous chuckle. "I'm really sorry, but isn't the answer to your problem kind of obvious? Just the way you looked... I think you knew thought the same thing, but you looked like you really didn't want to do it."</p><p> </p><p>Had Vanessa always been so perceptive? Ivy suddenly felt trapped, almost suffocated, by the only answer that lay before her. However, her machine-like pragmatism refused to come to her head, leading her to bear the dull but unending anxiety that was twisting her insides into knots.</p><p> </p><p>"D-Did I say the wrong thing, Ivy?" Vanessa asked, her eyes wide with worry. She pressed her hands over Ivy's even tighter. "Is this an upsetting topic to you? I don't want to force it on you."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy suddenly felt something wet slide down her cheek. Only now did she have a concise answer to her extreme reluctance. Even then, it was a struggle to even whisper them out. "I'm afraid I'll see the scars I created if I try."</p><p> </p><p>She felt Vanessa's grip around her hands loosen right before she felt a gentle stroke against her cheek. The pink-haired android's voice was soft and quiet, almost like she was reciting a lullaby. "The scars shouldn't be there to remind you of your mistakes. They should be there to show where you need to heal."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy's eyes widened as she stared back at Vanessa with the same reverent awe her fellow Architect had showed her just moments earlier. Re-contextualization... That was what the white-haired android had lacked, she realized.</p><p> </p><p>It was peculiar that Ivy truly could only vocalize the abstract disconcerting thoughts that brewed in her mind. Perhaps it was because of her naturally lower defenses around Vanessa that these thoughts seemed to spill out of her the most at only the slightest hint of coaxing. The pink-haired android was someone Ivy was familiar with. Of course, her mind would feel at ease and suddenly release what it had pent up.</p><p> </p><p>No, "familiar" wasn't quite the right word. It frustrated Ivy that she still couldn't figure out what the correct term was.</p><p> </p><p>That remained a quandary for another time. Now, Ivy had been given a new objective. "The internet on the phone is nothing like the virtual internet I had previously used. Do you...have experience with it?"</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa's face lit up radiantly, pure beaming joy shining from her smile. She rifled through her hoodie pocket eagerly, pulling out her phone. "Just send the song to me, and I'll make sure the whole world gets to hear it!"</p><p> </p><p>The new form of internet access would still take some getting used to even with Ivy's additional capabilities as an Architect, but the transfer of information between electronic devices was still child's play.</p><p> </p><p>As Ivy went about the process of uploading the music file to Vanessa's phone, the pink-haired android piped in. "Say... Do you think you should have a cool artist's name?"</p><p> </p><p>"Artist's name?" Ivy parroted back.</p><p> </p><p>"You know," Vanessa elaborated clumsily, "like how Miss Aroma goes by PAFF when she sings and how Miss Neko puts her name in call caps with weird symbols at the end whenever she signs her singles. Do you think you should have one now that you're going to be a music star too?"</p><p> </p><p>Technically, that was what Æsir was, though it was perhaps more accurate to call it a disguise. The identity had even come with its separate avatar.</p><p> </p><p>That disguise had been literally destroyed, along with the name's meaning, one that was derived from the Asura, powerful deities known for their wrath. Ivy felt no anger anymore, and with it quelled, her form seemed to shrink down into one that was far more vulnerable. Hostility had given way to passive insecurity.</p><p> </p><p>"What name do you have mind?" Ivy asked. </p><p> </p><p>Vanessa hummed as her body tilted from side to side like a pendulum. Ivy swore she could actually hear a ding as soon as the pink-haired android abruptly halted. "How about 'Vee'?"</p><p> </p><p>Ivy raised an eyebrow. "You mean like the letter?"</p><p> </p><p>"Like the way the sound of the letter when said aloud," Vanessa elaborated. Her expression turned shy as her cheeks tinged pink. "I... I just thought it sounded cute."  </p><p> </p><p>Ivy felt her own cheeks grow hot. The label "cute" was ultimately abstract and relative. There wouldn't be an objective way to deem what could be considered cute.</p><p> </p><p>However, logic hadn't been in charge of most of Ivy's decision-making as of late.</p><p> </p><p>The name was indeed cute...</p><p> </p><p>Suddenly, Ivy felt her jacket pocket vibrate. The chime of the opening notes of V. was familiar, even when muffled.</p><p> </p><p>Curious, Ivy pulled her phone out. That curiosity turned to surprise when she saw the name of the caller.</p><p> </p><p>What interest did Xenon have in talking to her? With how their last conversation played out many weeks ago, she had assumed he'd wish to maintain his distance.</p><p> </p><p>She glanced back up, noticing Vanessa leaning closer, observing Xenon's name on Ivy's phone screen. The pink-haired android's eyes basically spelled out how interested she was at the conversation she was.</p><p> </p><p>With an affirmative nod to Vanessa, Ivy answered the call. The pink-haired android immediately bowed out of the way of the phone's camera, likely to give Xenon the necessary privacy. Ivy didn't know how much Vanessa had interacted with the former systems administrator, but she sensed that her fellow Architect was familiar with his fixation on privacy.</p><p> </p><p>When Xenon appeared on the screen, his eyes were masked behind his tangle of long blond hair, though not by deliberate choice for the sake of maintaining anonymity. Rather, it was as though he was recovering from some mental breakdown that occurred just moments prior. His visible ragged breathing was enough of a sign of that. There were only a handful of memories she recalled where he was in a similar state.</p><p> </p><p>"Xenon?" Ivy could only greet, at a loss for any other words.</p><p> </p><p>"Have you seen the news recently?" Xenon asked. He was forcing his voice steady, but the strain it was putting on his vocal cords was obvious.</p><p> </p><p>"I haven't," Ivy said hesitantly. "I've been...busy these past few days."</p><p> </p><p>Xenon's lips trembled as he struggled to get his next words out. When he finally did, Ivy understood why. "It's Sherry... I heard her voice when I logged onto the iM Boards today."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>All credit goes to tikii for the nickname "Vee".</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Chapter 13</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Ivy reluctantly returns to virtual space.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ivy could only stare at Xenon's almost hollow face as she absorbed his words. Sherry Pauline, otherwise known as Cherry, was perhaps the embodiment of the worst Ivy's actions had brought. She wasn't simply another life lost due to the Architect's careless but a close loved one of one of her allies.</p><p> </p><p>From the memories she had absorbed, Cherry and Xenon had a complicated history, meeting as members of a band and over time falling in love, before a tragedy involving their respective fathers and Shannon caused them to split off. It was through a series of unexpected and chaotic events, ironically sprung into action by Ivy's stint at Æsir, that the two of them had begun to rekindle the love that they formerly had.</p><p> </p><p>But just as the sparks returned, so quickly were they snuffed out. The entity controlling Vanessa summoned the drones to attack mankind, including the Node where Xenon and Cherry were staying at. As a duo, they had successfully repelled them, but doing so required Cherry to stand in harm's way as she hacked into them through the virtual internet using her chip.</p><p> </p><p>She was shot.</p><p><br/>It was a wound she could have recovered from with proper medical treatment, but the accursed protocol had moved its efforts to the Node's power grid, shutting off the equipment keeping her stable.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy had seen the footage. She knew Xenon could only sit by Cherry's bedside as the life slowly slipped away from her body, until all he was left with was the corpse of the young woman he loved and a charm he had given to her for her birthday years ago when they were still together.</p><p> </p><p>Xenon would've destroyed Ivy when they finally confronted each other had ConneR not intervened. Ivy couldn't blame the young administrator for wanting to. It had only just begun to set in at that moment just what she had taken from so many when she acknowledged the part she played in Cherry's death.</p><p> </p><p>With Cherry's death, and the knowledge of who she was, Ivy couldn't help but reflect on how...incomplete the party sent to awaken Vanessa felt. Cherry was living unrealized potential, her life snuffed out before she could complete her journey.</p><p> </p><p>And before the kindling between her and Xenon could ignite at least one final time.</p><p> </p><p>Only now, Ivy was suddenly informed that Cherry's voice could be heard echoing through several websites, most predominantly the popular iM message boards, with theories being strewn about her ghost returning to check in on fans.</p><p> </p><p>It was not even wishful thinking from a group in deep denial. Xenon had no reason to fake the recording he provided Ivy of his own experience with Cherry's so-called phantom. The voice was a perfect match for the one from the memories.</p><p> </p><p>"W̶̧̖̍̐̈́h̴̨̲̖̓ẻ̴̠ř̵̡e̴̱͐ ̷̰̝͇͊̐̌ am I?"</p><p> </p><p>"Can s̵̺̺̅ȏ̸̬m̷̩̬͓̃è̶͎ő̴̠n̴͕̿̐̔e̵̥̘̐̾͝ ̶̠̈́̒̕t̶̲̝̖̀a̶̺̟͋͋ľ̷̡̘̓̆k̴͙̓ ̸̛̫̐̾to me?"</p><p> </p><p>"There were   ̶̤̈́͂ṕ̷͎̊̉ę̵̹̉̋͋ͅö̸̬̣̙́̓p̷̧̘̻̏l̶̥̙͒͒̄ȇ̵̩͒ ̶͔̻̒̀h̴̨̙̜́̃e̷̗͝ṙ̵̘̰̆ȩ̴̹̮́͌͗.̵̒͆̽͜.̶͉̋͜.̶̰̍"</p><p> </p><p>None of it was an echo from some past conversation. This was Cherry, speaking with a voice far more vulnerable and lost than she ever did in the past, buried somewhere within the digital landscape.</p><p> </p><p>At first Ivy believed she could do no more for Xenon than apologize and maintain her distance. Now, Ivy possibly was faced with the first mistake she could actually fix.</p><p> </p><p>"What do you need me to do?" Ivy immediately asked.</p><p> </p><p>"This channel is secure both ways..." Xenon said quietly, more to himself than to Ivy, as he mussed his already disheveled mess of hair with a discomforting sigh. "I must be out of my mind..."</p><p> </p><p>She saw his hand clench, as though he were steeling his resolve for what he was going to say next. "I need your help accessing the virtual internet."</p><p> </p><p>It felt as though a frozen ice pick had been rammed into her chest. "V-Virtual...internet?"</p><p> </p><p>"It's risky on both our parts if we go through with this," Xenon said with a hushed urgency, "but I promise to hold only myself accountable if the breach is detected by the A.R.C. Our methods of hacking were similar enough for your previous actions to be mistaken for mine, after all..."</p><p> </p><p>Those were intended to be reassuring words, but they were not the specific ones Ivy needed to hear. It was only thanks to Vanessa's gentle persistence that Ivy now had mustered the courage to spread her music online, but that was via a device that only gave her a glimpse into the realm she had damaged.</p><p> </p><p>What Xenon was asking from her at that moment was far more drastic a step.</p><p> </p><p>But if Ivy did not take it, that opportunity to reverse one of her grave mistakes would likely vanish. Cherry would be truly gone, essentially murdered by Ivy's inaction.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy flinched as she felt a hand gingerly wrap around her arm. It took her a moment to realize that Vanessa had been present during the entire exchange. The white-haired android looked up, seeing Vanessa looking back at her with almost pleading eyes.</p><p> </p><p>They could not share words at that moment due to their mutual fear of Xenon discovering the presence of another during what was supposed to be a private conversation. However, Ivy felt she understood what Vanessa was trying to tell her through just her face.</p><p> </p><p>It was a repeat of the words she had spoken to convince Ivy to share her music.</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa's eyes were begging to Ivy to begin healing the wounds she had thoughtlessly created.</p><p> </p><p>"If you don't want to be involved--" Xenon started.</p><p> </p><p>"I have some conditions for our arrangement," Ivy finally said.</p><p> </p><p>Xenon paused, holding a stare at Ivy as he seemingly attempted to process her interjection. It was as though he had unconsciously made the call in a kind of mad desperation, and only forced himself to go through with it out of some obligation to follow through while believing Ivy's refusal was inevitable. The observation was more familiar than Ivy would care to admit.</p><p> </p><p>A good few seconds passed before Xenon finally answered. "Name them."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy steadied her breath. "I will only assist you in exploring the virtual internet. Neither of us will tamper with any other barriers once we gain access. And we will devote time to fully sealing the breach once we depart."</p><p> </p><p>"Done," Xenon said simply and immediately. "I will contact you once I reactivate my chip." </p><p> </p><p>There was an unnerving sensation permeating the air once the call ended. Though Vanessa could speak now, all she could do was look uneasily at Ivy. From just looking at Vanessa face, Ivy sensed that the pink-haired android was more aware of this situation with Cherry than she wished to admit.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy decided not to address this particular detail, the inexplicable emotional link between the two of them comparing Vanessa's seeming awareness to that of a wound that hadn't completely sealed. The thought of pressing Vanessa for question until the pink-haired android was reduced to tears caused Ivy's core to turn cold.</p><p> </p><p>The transfer of Preface continued in silence, the previous developing enthusiasm now all but sucked away, leaving only the formality behind.</p><p> </p><p>It was only when Vanessa was at the door that she broke the silence, albeit with a voice just above a whisper. "Did you mean it when you told Mr. Simon you would help find Miss Sherry?"</p><p> </p><p>There was a hint of something in Vanessa's tone that caused Ivy's insides to clench. Was it...guilt? What would Vanessa need to feel guilt over? This was Ivy's responsibility.</p><p> </p><p>"You wanted me to heal the scars I made," Ivy responded, attempting to make her voice sound as firm as possible. "I wouldn't be doing that if I just said no to him."</p><p> </p><p>"Okay..." Vanessa murmured back. It appeared that Ivy's attempt at projecting resolve had not been all too successful. That guilty expression still remained in her eyes.</p><p> </p><p>There was an extended pregnant pause. The pink-haired android was contemplating something, but the sensation was so vague that Ivy couldn't properly define what it was. Finally, Vanessa spoke once again. "Please call me once you've returned... I want to know that you're safe."</p><p> </p><p>"Of course," Ivy responded.</p><p> </p><p>She just stood there wordlessly as Vanessa departed without another word. The thought that Vanessa might neglect to share Preface didn't even cross her mind. There were more important matters to attend to, after all.</p><p> </p><p>Was this the first time Vanessa explicitly asked Ivy to call her? It inexplicably felt like a huge revelation.</p><p> </p><p>That question managed to stick out in Ivy's mind even after Xenon called her back just moments later. As in, Ivy was just sitting in her room in complete silence, contemplating all the events that had just transpired hours ago, before her phone suddenly chimed once again.</p><p> </p><p>"My chip has been reactivated," Xenon informed her, looking just as frayed at the seams as he did during the first call, making those scant hours feel even shorter.</p><p> </p><p>"Did you encounter any difficulties?" Ivy asked, still surprised by the quick turnaround.</p><p> </p><p>"None so far..." Xenon muttered warily, idly scratching the nape of his neck. He looked back at Ivy, his expression steeling. "Okay, you're up. Reopen the access way."</p><p> </p><p>The order reverberated through Ivy's entire being. Did it speak to her origins as a machine designed to serve that she felt the immediate impulse to obey despite possessing the capacity for freewill? For what felt like ages now, Ivy had been acting very unlike an automaton, only to now be faced with an artifact of her innately programmed nature.</p><p> </p><p>There was another aspect of her mind, not the main consciousness that thought independently but one that was far less composed and tamed. The fibers and wires twirled and twisted around her joints tightened, resisting her directive for just a while longer.</p><p> </p><p>It was just enough for Ivy to present a question, one that had only just occurred to her. "Why do you require me to access the virtual internet? Are you not already more than familiar with how it operates?"</p><p> </p><p>"I'm familiar with the virtual internet as constructed by the A.R.C.," Xenon said with a clipped tone that caused Ivy to flinch slightly. "I'm not familiar with the one you made."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy's head tilted to the side in confusion. "I don't understand. Even after I made alterations to the cyTus system when I...tried to awaken Vanessa..."</p><p> </p><p>Her voice trailed off as the mention of her greatest mistake passed through her lips. Ivy gritted her teeth, forcing herself through. If the memory kept halting her in her tracks, her chance to make amends would slip on by.</p><p> </p><p>She pushed the memory aside with a cough. "You were still able to access the virtual internet. Why would it be too different now?"</p><p> </p><p>The question seemed to have a particularly difficult answer considering the heavy sigh Xenon exhaled as he massaged his temples.</p><p> </p><p>"It's different because Vanessa's awakened and no longer the Core."</p><p> </p><p>It was a difficult answer indeed. With Xenon's propensity for bluntness, the words almost physically weighed Ivy down. "I see..."</p><p> </p><p>"With the Core gone," Xenon elaborated, "there is no familiar architecture I can work with. The cyTus system is now fully your creation. You're going to have to guide me through it."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy wondered to herself if that was the true reason the A.R.C. abolished all uses of the virtual internet. It seemed like it was no longer under their control. The thought that Ivy now held the sole authority over the system she had hijacked made the back of her throat tingle, almost causing her to gag.</p><p> </p><p>"It was never my intention to own the system," Ivy said, forcing down her inexplicable nausea. "The improvements were supposed to benefit even humanity."</p><p> </p><p>The words came out hollow. Ivy had written them in her log right before she enacted her ultimately doomed plan to awaken Vanessa. Bringing that memory back up, she wasn't entirely sure she had believed them even back then.  </p><p> </p><p>"You can't change what's happened to it," Xenon sighed.</p><p> </p><p>"No, I can't..." Ivy conceded quietly. There was almost the temptation to leap back into the system fully, to remold it into the idyllic vision she originally had for it. That dream was too brief to even be considered fleeting. After all, she'd be violating the conditions she'd set for herself and Xenon earlier.</p><p> </p><p>"Well... My chip's active now," Xenon said, his voice awkwardly stiff. There was no easy way to transition out of a subject like this. "I'll be waiting for you to make an entrance."</p><p> </p><p>All they could do now was focus on their shared mission. Ivy's free hand clenched in dreaded anticipation. "I'll be there."</p><p> </p><p>As soon as the phone call ended, Ivy willed the literal switch in her head back on. She believed the process would be arduous, a slow grind as her systems attempted to recall the specific internal resources necessary to manifest virtual space. Pure disuse tended to wear down the functions of a machine nearly as much as pure overuse, leaving behind just as many parts that were just as liable to snap apart from the suddenness of their activation.</p><p> </p><p>All Ivy was met with was a gentle whir of her hardware as panels of various shades of blue manifested by the corner of her eyes before completely enveloping her full field of vision. It was like witnessing rushing water through a pixilated filter.</p><p> </p><p>So great were Ivy's worries that she didn't consider that her very operating systems had remained completely intact when she woke up in the middle of the wilderness have a centuries-long slumber. What was a month or two on top of that?</p><p> </p><p>Did she actually wish for the dive back into virtual space to go wrong?</p><p> </p><p>As her digitized projection took a view around her altered environment, she was left pondering the question further, another in a line a so many.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy stood once again on a platform composed of bright flatly-shaded cubes of varying sizes floating above a void populated by rectangular frames that oscillated in size and dimension, the lines intercut by static noise. It was a realm that was permanently in flux, only temporarily forming shapes based on the whims of the explorer. Somehow, the virtual world looked more unnerving in its original pristine shades of the lightest grays and whites than when it was bathed in blood-like crimson after the protocol's infection had taken hold.</p><p> </p><p>Familiarity might have had something to do with it. This was the exact place the Ivy of the past stood when she first realized the presence of the new system. The present and the past were now standing in the same shoes.</p><p> </p><p>She found herself having to reinforce her resolve once again with self-assurances. Though she was back in the metaphorical shoes of her past self, she carried with her the knowledge of the present. This time, she knew that her very hand was destructive. Ivy would be nothing more than a witness this time, not a deluded perpetrator.</p><p> </p><p>The thoughts were just enough reinforcement to get Ivy to take her first reluctant steps. After a few seconds, her movement became rigidly automated. But she was moving nonetheless. As she traversed over the void, Ivy was met with the familiar sight of the floor shifting beneath her feet, cubes rapidly detaching and reattaching to give her solid footing.</p><p> </p><p>Once, Ivy was able to navigate her digital surroundings as naturally as a human strolling through the park. It was a realm of technology. Of course, she would've been confident in identifying the specific purpose behind the abstract images that floated around her. That confidence had all but dissipated now, rendering her no more effective than a lost child.</p><p> </p><p>Perhaps it was the result of contrast, but, despite her now walking in the steps of her past self, the surroundings now felt increasingly uncanny the longer she took them in. It was rather unusual to admit that she missed the presence of phantoms, distorted, vibrating silhouettes representing the humans visiting the space, particularly the white noise that came from their indistinct interactions with one another, purposefully obscured until she focused in their direction.</p><p> </p><p>In their place was what resembled panes of reflective glass, likely the monitors and phone screens that had replaced humanity's direct access to the digital realm. With these barriers in place, the noise had ceased, leaving behind an eerie silence.</p><p> </p><p>Well, there was silence except for a single sound. The best descriptor for it Ivy could come up with was "digitized bell", one that pinged in set intervals, patiently waiting for its recipient. The inner parts of her psyche, naturally in-tune with machinery, told her that she had a guest waiting for administrator access.</p><p> </p><p>In real-world time, the process was supposed to take a second at most, a simple click. Within the Architect's relative concept of time, it was a harrowing and reluctant journey as she forced one step in front of the other as she headed for the source. It felt like years had passed before she happened upon the barrier.</p><p> </p><p>Behind the oscillating and shifting light blue panels was a familiar silhouette standing stiffly in place, though the man behind the avatar likely was shuffling around impatiently. Ivy's hand awkwardly rose to the air, as though the joints of her arms had rusted. The realization that she was about to create another scar in the system was like a physical weight on her shoulders.</p><p> </p><p>All she could hope was that it would be sealed soon.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy gentle placed her entire palm over the barrier. The sharp sting of glass cracking caused her core to quite literally leap out of her throat.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Chapter 14</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Xenon looks for Cherry. Ivy surveys the damage she caused.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ivy recoiled as the barrier crashed down in front of her like a child that had just broken an expensive vase. Why did the destruction have to simulate a sound similar to broken glass?</p><p> </p><p>Xenon's avatar simply stood there, seemingly unaware of the sound of destruction that had played out right in front of him. "Do I have access to the virtual internet now?"</p><p> </p><p>It was a basic question delivered in the bluntest fashion, something that only added to Ivy's uneasiness about the whole situation. While she could understand his willingness to bend rules for the sake of seeing a seemingly lost loved one, did he not understand what he had asked Ivy to do? Surely, her digital avatar should've been able to convey her reluctance towards harming the virtual realm again.</p><p> </p><p>Yet his expression was dispassionate at best, impatient even. The breach she had just created was simply an event that occurred for the sake of his objective.</p><p> </p><p>"Yes." That was all Ivy could say as these uncomfortable thoughts swirled in her head.</p><p> </p><p>Xenon's avatar rose a foot forward, likely experimenting to see if a fragment barrier was still in place. Upon being met with air, he stepped forward into the virtual realm in earnest. There was no fanfare, no view of the surroundings for any changes since his extended absence.</p><p> </p><p>The only one he spared a glance was Ivy, still just as impassive as ever. "I'll show you where I last encountered Sherry's voice."</p><p> </p><p>The statement was stiff and formal, a reflection of their current dynamic to be sure. The last time they met, Xenon merely suggested his openness to the idea of forgiving Ivy. It was clear that Cherry was the only reason they had chosen to wander together. Even then, the mutual person they both desired to rescue didn't exactly arouse much in the way of mutual empathy.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy was the one most in-tune with technology by her very nature, yet here she was being led like a newborn. Despite the apparent indignity of the image, she paid little mind to it. Her mind instead was consumed by more pressing thoughts, specifically memories.</p><p> </p><p>Both the ones she had stolen and the ones she had personally experienced.</p><p> </p><p>Of course she knew where the iM message boards were located. Ivy had been telling a lie to herself the entire time that she didn't, knowing that Xenon's comparatively more plodding steps would keep her away from the dreaded sight just a moment longer.</p><p> </p><p>And this thought created a seemingly literal knot in her synthetic innards, or at least that's what it felt like. To delay a potential rescue all to ease her nerves was truly selfish. </p><p> </p><p>It wasn't like the delay did an ounce of good. The digital representation of the iM System's message boards fully showcased the scars she had created. Even though the people were now hidden behind the windows of their monitors and phone screens, their memory strands still remained, and they flowed right over the travelers like twisted confetti.</p><p> </p><p>As indicated by the rash of humans suffering blackouts and even permanent brain damage, the process of memory extraction was not an elegant one. With every memory she had pulled, frayed threads were left behind, floating in digital space. Ivy should have known better than to tamper with something as complex as the human brain, but she had paid little heed to the torn scraps she had received. Countless times, she had wandered through this very space and had the capacity to view the damage she had caused, but the objective she had imposed on herself seemed to place a haze over her eyes, leaving them only capable of spotting assets.</p><p> </p><p>Well, now the haze had been removed, and she bore witness to the visual chaos she had unleashed. The very scars she had alluded to before were now hovering around her. She could practically hear the clipped, distorted voices of the memories filling the air, incomprehensible words and even just syllables grasping for the conversations and contexts that had been stripped away from them.</p><p> </p><p>Then there were the physical gashes left behind. When she had operated as Æsir, she had created a particular song rather appropriately dubbed "CHAOS", a song with a frequency that she could easily manipulate for both infiltration and defense. Even in the real world, the waves she could emit with the song disoriented humans and short-circuited machines. One then could only imagine the kind of potential it held in the virtual internet, a realm that gave her direct access to the human mind.</p><p> </p><p>The thing about the appropriately named CHAOS was that there was no way to adjust the severity of its assaults. Once it was given a purpose, the distorted song determined the amount of force necessary. And when it came to severing the flow of memories, CHAOS always cut harshly and deeply like a cleaver through dense meat. Amidst the flowing sea-colored gradients were slashes and cracks that bled out harsh, oversaturated static noise, shining harsh spotlights on the previously peaceful and mellow digital environment.</p><p> </p><p>If it wasn't for the fact that the users were now shielded behind their screens, Ivy likely would've gotten a clear view of the wounds superimposed over their avatars. With how wide the tears dotting the space were, they likely would've obscured their faces, almost giving the impression their identities had been erased...</p><p> </p><p>And the entire time, Xenon face remained straight ahead, not because he didn't wish to acknowledge the damage Ivy had wrought but rather because he did not seem to perceive them at all. It was probably just because of Ivy's greater attunement to technology, right?</p><p> </p><p>Ivy dreaded the alternate theories. Was it possible for a machine to go mad?</p><p> </p><p>And those distorted whispers she was hearing were becoming far too concrete for her liking.</p><p> </p><p>"I have to g̵̢͈̳͚̠̲͎͓̜̗̱͍̽̏̽́̈ͅͅe̶̢͕͈͉̼͍̹̖̬͎͕͔̳̍̇̈́̈́̄͆̉̔͌́̎͠ţ̸̡͉͚̹̳͉̋̓̒̒͋̄̎͊́͝ ̵̱̹̪̮̊̽̍̄̒͒̚̕o̷̘̼̓̊͋̽͌̚͘͝͝u̷̗͙̩̻͓̒͆̊̾̏̔͜͝ţ̷̰̯̼̬̦͍͉̙̘͙̗̦̝͇͌ ̵̝̖̭̻̮̝͕̭̮̭̥̊͑̃̇̉̊̚ö̵̧̼̹̩́̉̒̇͑̒̕͠f̴̧̛͙̥̪̺̬̫̣̙͙̪̻̈͑̈͛͑̓̒̽͋̆͗̚̕ ̸̟͇̪̥̆̂͆̿ḩ̴͇̠̙̟̘̝̰͓̖̈́̄̾͘͝ȩ̴̡̧̝̠̹͉̺͙͙̻̦̪̘̟̋̍͗̋̚͠ŗ̵̛̻̞̠͉̟̙̗͙̥̰̂̀͐͑̏̐ͅe̶̛̬̬̠̬̘͓̭͘. Log out. L̶̮̗̗̥̗͕̍̾ͅo̶͙͓̫̮̫̘͎͖̻̦͈͓̳͈͐̍̂̈́̋̆̇̅͜͠g̸̡̲̙̲͙͈̪̥̤͇̿̀̊̾͗̌̃̇̃̉͝ ̶̛̭̙͙̭͉̓͌̄ỏ̶̧̾̉̂̈́̃̾̓̄͘u̶̼̩̤̫̘̬̟̪̱̮͖̦̪͆̌͛͌̑͝ť̶̢̹̳̬̪̪̠͉̟̻̱̖̪̂̀̄̃.̴̼͖̲̜̥̮̬̟̄̋̔͂̓̕̚͝͝.̴̧̡͇̙͕͎͈͎̗̳̖̠̖̣͇̇̓̈́̽̈́͘͘̕͠.̶̧̹̪̻̭̯͓̼̥̎͒̌̎͐̓̕̚͜͠"</p><p> </p><p>Suddenly, Xenon paused. "That's not her."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy shook her head, quickly stirring herself out of her self-loathing descent. "W-What isn't?"</p><p> </p><p>"The voices..." Xenon said gravely. "You hear those too, right?"</p><p> </p><p>"Someone...help... N̸̤̙̻̻̉̋̆ȩ̸̠͖͈̖̬̂͜ͅȩ̸̦̦̺̞͍̰͕̞͕̟͇͌̏̓̈͑͆̆͝ͅd̶̡̦̟̝̘̝̞̋̈̓̈́̚ ̶͉̞̋̾̽̿͐͛͊̊̔̒͑̚̕ť̴̨̡̳̯͖͙̯̜̇̚o̷̡̤̣͔͙͎͕̣̺̩̻͗͑̇͆̑̒͝ ̵̣͛̏̂͂̅̉̈̃̐͘̕̚͘͝͠m̷̪̪̰̹͆̈́̍͛̐̇á̶̢͇̠͚̥̖̹͐̇̂k̷̼̪̖͈̠̟̗͔͚̤̋̋̄͗̚̚͘͝e̷̖̼̜̯̙̟̤̽̃́ͅ ̵̖̫͍͔̙͍̻̲͍̉͑͋̈́̇̏a̶̡͎͖̘̫̤̜̝͋̇̂̐́̏̄͠ ̷̩̰͉̪̱͉̬̊͗͆̏̑̿̀c̶̻̉̍̃̓̑͒à̶͉̝̲͈͆͑̎͛̎͂̀̾͗͗̈̈́͠ľ̸̡͉̹̜̙̳͚͈̜͚̐̑̄͛͛̕͘l̴̡̟͍̫͕̹̖̼̫̩͙̑͗͐̔͝͝ͅ.̸̦̟̓̌̋͑̃̽̚.̷̺̓ͅ.̵̨̨̨̩̦͕̩̻̲̭̎͊̏͆̾̓̉̎"̴̧͚̪̖̘̱̬̗̖̭̩̜̝̯̑̔̓̾̍̿̽̂̂͊͂̍͐"</p><p> </p><p>Ivy's eyes widened as she realized those whispers hadn't been a fabrication of her guilt-ridden mind. "Yes... These other voices weren't there when you heard Sherry's?"</p><p> </p><p>Xenon paused awkwardly. "There might have been rumors on the iM Boards regarding voices, but I didn't pay much attention to them until Sherry's voice started appearing on the news. I...admittedly only started investigating once I found out about that."</p><p> </p><p>There was an uncomfortable parallel to be made between the Xenon of the present and the Ivy of the past. She could only hope that she'd be able to catch the moment the former systems administrator decided to edge towards more reckless and pull him away.</p><p> </p><p>"Who do these voices belong to?" Ivy asked as her eyes attempted to visualize the sound waves. The distorted whispers might've become clearer, but they were still noticeably distant.</p><p> </p><p>"I don't recognize any of them," Xenon grunted as he too glanced around, seemingly for the same reason. "This is the most voices I've ever heard at once."</p><p> </p><p>"W̷̛̯̘̒̏͊̒̈̀̌̏͊h̵͍̎̀̈́̏̄̿͌ę̸̬͔͚̖̫̞͇̪̠͖̙̱̾̋̒̃̓̍̈́̈̋̍̊̚͝͝ř̶̨̢̜̲̘̫̠̭̝͔͍̥͊̆͂̈ȩ̴͔̼̙͓͕̼̱̳̻̦̱͕̰̓̐́̓́̑̾̕ͅ ̶̧͇̞̮̔̐͆͊͛̈͘͝͝į̸͕̞̤̦̱͙̣͎̔͊̐͋́̾̿͝͝ͅs̶̘̯̻̱̰̥̦͇̒̊͑͒͗̔̃̓̌̒̏͝ ̸̥̗͈̟̗͙̈̐̌̉̍̽ everyone?"</p><p> </p><p>"Who t̶̛̫̰̭u̷̠͓̭̻̐̑r̸͕͗͊̽͑n̵̢̯̩̭̓͐̀͊͂e̴̜̬͓̝͠d̸̫̿͠͝ ̴̗̃̒͠o̵̜͙̳̓̋͠ǔ̸̧̡̹͓̤͗̈́̚t̶̛̰̳͙̠͐̑̕ the lights?"</p><p> </p><p>"So d̶͙͍̬͊͋̋͠͝ą̴̨̨̻̓̓́̏̕͜r̶͎̟̩͒̉̄͠k̵̤̯̯̪͐̔͂ ̷̛̊͜ḭ̴̺͈̮̻̉n̸͈̬̘̺͍̉̍̈́ here..."</p><p> </p><p>"Huh... I ca̴̢̱̰̰̪̽̌͒̿ṇ̴͔̺̺̭͖̼̝̒̈'̷̨͍̱̱͖͕͈̲̌ț̶̢̘̞̟̽ ̷̤̓͗̿̊m̵͉̪̳͖̣͎̂͜ǫ̵͇̪̼̗͖̾̅v̴͍̻̫̦͎͕̈́͑ë̶̡̢̖̫̭́͠..."</p><p> </p><p>That caught Ivy's attention. She recalled the past news of glitches, which she at the time had simply dismissed as transitional issues. However, now she remembered the specifics, of disconcerting cryptic text spontaneously appearing in comments sections and occasionally right in the middle of posted articles.</p><p> </p><p>"Did people only hear one voice at a time before this?" Ivy asked.</p><p> </p><p>"They did..." Xenon started, his voice trailing off as he began stroking his chin in contemplation. "But all of the accounts differed..."</p><p> </p><p>And like that, Ivy's forming theory was confirmed in an instant. She nodded in response. "I think these voices might have been here the entire time."</p><p> </p><p>"If it's true," Xenon said with marked concern, "then something isn't adding up. This isn't just my mind isolating the white noise just to find her. You also only heard Sherry's voice in the recording, right?"</p><p> </p><p>"I did..." Ivy murmured.</p><p> </p><p>Xenon grunted in frustration as he tugged on a fistful of his bangs. "Forget it. That isn't the reason we're here."</p><p> </p><p>Xenon's footsteps as he trudged away somehow managed to convey weight despite the two of them being in a space that technically possessed flat non-textured surfaces. Ivy followed passively, once again cursing her reluctance to take the lead in the search.</p><p> </p><p>"She should still be in the same spot," she heard Xenon muttering to himself as he continued one. "Everyone mentioned hearing her there..."</p><p> </p><p>There was an almost frantic desperation to his tone, one that he was straining to suppress. The uncomfortable parallels to Ivy's past self only continued to intensify.</p><p> </p><p>It was already disconcerting during the first instance. Ivy dreaded what would happen during the third.</p><p> </p><p>She finally spoke up. "Xenon... Remember the conditions I set."</p><p> </p><p>The former administrator's plodding footsteps halted, but he didn't turn his head around to address the Architect. "Yes. We won't tamper with anything. We're just looking for her."</p><p> </p><p>His response was toneless, almost automated. Ivy could feel the pulse in her chest hasten in response, inexplicably causing her inner wiring to squirm. She could tell he was attempting to suppress his emotions around her, ironically causing only the most disconcerting of them to leak out.</p><p> </p><p>The thought that came to Ivy's mind was annoyingly self-centered, but she now couldn't help but feel that Xenon was specifically guarding himself around her. In terms of abilities, Ivy might have been his best match, but all the talents in the world mattered little if communication wasn't open between them. The last time they were allied, there were others beside them who were much more open. One way or another, both of their thoughts would've been conveyed by their companions whether they liked it or not.</p><p> </p><p>It was up to Ivy now to properly convey her thoughts, to keep her ally from doing something she knew he would later regret. "Xenon..."</p><p> </p><p>Her voice didn't trail off so much as it completely halted in its tracks.</p><p> </p><p>"Her... I h̷̼̫̥͂̆̃̈ȃ̷̦͔̬̉͘v̶̰̎e̷̪͂̌̒ ̶̡͇̹̣͠t̵̻͐o̶̱̔͆ ̷͔͓̖̖̀͑͋̕f̷̻̗̕i̵̘̎̈́͠ņ̵̙̲̈́͛̊ͅd̷̛̝̻͘ her..."</p><p> </p><p>Unlike the other discordant voices, this one wasn't distant. In fact, its volume was rising by the millisecond. However, that wasn't what caused Ivy to freeze.</p><p> </p><p>There was no other way to describe the sight. A literal digital ghost had just floated by. Unlike the scattering of "phantoms", the figure appeared in full, a corruption of a digital avatar. If there was a way to describe the man, it was as though his model had started out much smaller before being stretched out until his various textures were a mass of dithered pixels. It was still possible to judge the general placement of the clothing, hair, and even the approximation of his facial features, but the details were completely lost.</p><p> </p><p>Also, a person's avatar in the virtual internet typically attempted to move around like a normal person. They definitely did not hover through the air like marionette on strings.</p><p> </p><p>She watched as the digital ghost floated up to the screens dotting the iM System's landscape, his head in a blur of pixels turning from window to window. It wasn't difficult to surmise that he was looking for a particular user, though it was unlikely he'd be able to find the girl he was looking for, considering the windows in the virtual sky were completely opaque.</p><p> </p><p>The blurred face could not so easily convey emotions, but from just the body language, Ivy could tell that the ghost had come to the same realization. His movements grew more frantic as he slid from window to window, head leaning in close to the panes in a futile attempt to catch a small outline perhaps, some clue as to who stood behind them.</p><p> </p><p>Despite the uncanny nature of the being, the way the man hung his head low when he realized the windows couldn't provide him a view into the outside world was unmistakably human. Despite her earlier unease, Ivy couldn't help but feel sympathy for the spirit.</p><p> </p><p>With no way of spotting this person he was so desperate to reach, all the man could do was holler into the air, hands cupped next to his mouth like some kind of makeshift megaphone.</p><p> </p><p>"Sarah! Need to... S̶̢̛̞̰̬͖͍̯͕̙͔̬͖̮͓̈̍͊̅̎̓͛̔̉͘͝ͅa̴̡̙̲̱͈͎͋̊͌̿̒͑͑̆̒̏͛̏̕͠ṙ̸͙̖͇͋̑͘͝ą̸͈͎̗̣͓̺͇͒͐̋̏̎̌̐̋̈̽̄̕h̵̙̲͚̾̐̉͛͌̉͂͑̋̂͘͝!̴̨̬̯̳͖̖͉̹̞̤̩͖͈̬̈́̈́̓̚ ̷̨̛̙̼̟̩̬͍͍͙̘̗̓͌̏̆̓͘͜͜ͅH̸̛͇̳̲̗́̃̈̂͑̓͌͑̾̌̆̀͜͠ȩ̴̛̺̯͉͖̬̖͚̖͕͈̖̑̃͊̆́̀̿̔̄̈̽̾̽͘l̸͔̥͚̻̻͈͍̏̊̆͌p̶̡͎̖̦͍̈̃̈̌̈́͊͂̂̊͝ ̴̭͇̫͙̘͔͖̖͇̮̜̠͙͋̇͆m̸̼̬̑̒̓͊̋̆̑̎́͒̏͊̂̕ȇ̸͇̤͍̳̼̂̾́͑!̵̺̣̙̙̙͇̝̗̜̝͛͌̓̂̒̅̒̀́̈̽̅̊! I'm here! S̸̨̨̛̥̣̯͚̦̙̭̋̊̂͊͒͒͊̌͂̈́͠a̵̡̻̬̟̯̥̤̺̦̫̥̻̼͊͋̾̈͒́͆̏͛̌͊̌͛̽̅͆͒͒̕̕͠͝ͅr̸̨͖̘̩̫̤̯͖̳̩͒̎͛̄́̑͌̈́͋͆̈̆͆͗͆͒̓͝͝a̸̧̭̤̭̥̾̋̿̃̉̓̈́̈́ͅḫ̶̗̦̮͐͒͆͘͝.̵̢̯̟͈͉̻̝͚͖͉͇͖͕͇̜̮͔̱̉̈.̷̢̢̧̢̧̝͔͉̣͕̻͔̝̹̪͕̅̃̓͐̔͌̊̎̚͘͝ͅ.̵̧̪̗̝͙͍͕̽͗̈́̏̒̈́͗̾̽̒̔͌̈̾̑̆̈́͌̋̏̚͝͠ ̷̡̢̫̫͎̭͙̠̼̣̱̝̪͕͔͓̯͔̹͍̤͕͉̫̽̃̐͌̌̐̓͗̉͐̈́͋̾̽̀̃̈́͝Sarah!"</p><p> </p><p>Ivy winced, not only from the sudden raise in volume but from the sheer amount of static-filled clipping that laced his shouting. It was the kind of exclamation that could rouse her out of even her deepest moments of self-absorbed contemplation.</p><p> </p><p>Something clicked in Ivy's head at this description.</p><p> </p><p>"So that's why people hear only one voice at a time..." Ivy muttered to herself.</p><p> </p><p>However, based on the soundbites Ivy had heard from the recording, Cherry didn't seem to have a specific direction, no one person she was seeking. She sounded simply...lost.</p><p> </p><p>Almost right on cue, she heard Xenon's footsteps halt.</p><p> </p><p>"So̴̺̠̞̫̬̣͒̾͑͒̒̉̍̽̀͌̐̐̉̚m̷̧̧̛̲͍͕̲̠̭͈͚̻͐̄̊͐̂͒̑̓͒̿̄̋͘̚e̸̡̡̖̰̩̻͚͕̯͇͈̳̜͕͑͐̓͒̿͐͋͒̊̐̿̏̐̒ͅo̷̠̘͙̒́̎̅͂̋̀͑́̈͗͆̓̕͝n̷̫͕͍̬̼̠̹̝͎͈̤̓͋̉͂͌̈́̚͠ę̸̩͌̔̌̀̑̈́͗̋̍̀͝͠'̷̺̳̆̑š̷̡͙̭̖̬̮̼̦͈̝͇̱̦̳͌̄̏̽̕͜...here? Ṡ̵͕̟̯̪̗h̵̢̨̪̜͖̏̽̄͘͠o̷̖͓͙͊͆̒͝u̶̠̳͛̇̓̉̋̈́l̵̡̳͎̠̏̓̆̅̊͜d̷̦͌͛̈́.̵̜̪͓̥͂͑̚͜͝͝ͅ.̴͈̘̬͑ͅ.should I k̴̠̱͘n̴̲̬̒̉ȯ̷̧͂w̸̧̲̆͂͜ them?"</p><p> </p><p>And right on cue, Ivy heard the same voice from the recordings.</p><p> </p><p>"Yes. They should be... Ah! Okay, I have to go! Sorry!"</p><p> </p><p>Then Ivy heard another voice, one that was devoid of clipping and compression. It sounded so familiar, and the harmonics of it caused a fluttering sensation in her chest. She shook her head. No, it was probably some sort of mix-up in audio.</p><p> </p><p>Xenon didn't seem to pay any heed to the enigmatic second voice. "Sherry? Sherry, I'm here!"</p><p> </p><p>There was no time to ruminate. Ivy followed the former administrator's steps as they quickly hastened from a plod to a frantic dash.</p><p> </p><p>Unlike the real world, a person's perception of their environment in the virtual internet was not fully dictated by their eyesight. After all, it was only their mind that was travelling into the space, filtering out the worn-out physical external sensory systems. Theoretically, that would mean everyone would have the same eyesight, but in practice, that meant digital space artificially limited everyone's eyesight to several dozen feet, deliberately hiding particular assets that would only manifest once the user approached them.</p><p> </p><p>They pretty much had only Cherry's voice to go off of as they charged ahead, just hoping someone familiar would suddenly manifest in the air.</p><p> </p><p>That familiar figure emerged from the distance like a truck rushing out of a cloud of fog.</p><p> </p><p>If this were the real world, a loud screech would've been heard as they skidded to a stop. Meanwhile, the digital form of Xenon's deceased old flame stopped right in front of them on a dime.</p><p> </p><p>Xenon's eyes were wide, uncharacteristically so. For once, they were devoid of the weary grit and shrewdness. He didn't even look like a younger version of himself, but rather, it was as though he had been replaced by a completely different small child in that instance.</p><p> </p><p>Who could honestly blame him considering the digital spirit looking back at them?</p><p> </p><p>The distinct red hair colored in the shade of her stage name short in the back with several flared out strands with long bangs in the front parted to the right were already a signature, but her attire as well resembled those images that Ivy had viewed in Xenon's memories.</p><p> </p><p>Specifically, they resembled Cherry from nearly a decade ago, just refitted for her older body. Even with the obscuring pixels, there was no mistaking the black T-shirt that just barely covered her midriff or the torn blue jeans from the memory of her and Xenon's first kiss. The past and the present of Cherry's life had effectively mashed together into this one image.</p><p> </p><p>An image that was now staring at them with equal unease and curiosity. There was some room for interpretation with how compressed Cherry's visage appeared, but the slight tilt of her head was a telltale sign of curiosity.</p><p> </p><p>Finally, the apparition spoke, the distortion noticeably subdued compared to the recording and just moments before. There was a slight strain in her tone, almost like she was struggling to maintain her voice's clarity. "Are you r̴e̴a̷l̷? Are you i̸n̷ ̶f̸r̴o̵n̶t̸ ̵ of me r̶i̴g̴h̶t̴ ̶n̸o̷w̸?"</p><p> </p><p>"Sherry..." Xenon said with a voice just barely above a whisper as he stepped forward, hand stiffly and awkwardly extending out. "Is... Am I looking at you right now?"</p><p> </p><p>Cherry's ghost didn't seem to register the hand being held out in front of her, her indistinct gaze seemingly just focused on the broad outlines of the two people in front of her. "Who's i̵n̴ ̸f̵r̵o̶n̷t̸ of me right now? I know you're there, but w̵h̸y̶ ̵i̶s̵ ̴i̶t̷ so hard to s̶e̸e̵ ̷y̸o̴u̷?"</p><p> </p><p>Xenon's hand practically flew out, ready to wrap around Cherry's, only for another hand to intercept his outstretched arm.</p><p> </p><p>It was Ivy's. Xenon shot her an intense glare, only amplified further by his cold blue eyes. "Let go."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy didn't flinch. "We've just met her, and she can't see us clearly. Don't do anything that could scare her."</p><p> </p><p>Right now, the two of them were still strangers to her. Xenon making unprompted physical contact with her could be considered a threat.</p><p> </p><p>With a resigned sigh, the former administrator lowered in hand. He bit his lip slightly as he took in a shaky breath. "So what can we do then?"</p><p> </p><p>Internally, Ivy knew she had no alternative. Cherry's current existence was as much a new revelation to her as it was to Xenon. But she couldn't just say silent, not when she could sense what he might do in his desperation.</p><p> </p><p>She fell back on a theory that hadn't yet fully coalesced. "Speak to her. Convince her to look through her memories."</p><p> </p><p>To her relief, the former administrator gave a slight affirming nod in response before slowly turning back to Cherry. His voice was firm yet calm, disarmingly comforting. "What do you see Sherry? Please concentrate on my shape, my voice... Does any of it feel familiar to you?"</p><p> </p><p>"Familiar... Voice.̵.̵.̴ ̷S̸h̸a̵p̷e̸.̴.̴.̵" the Cherry-shaped figure murmured, that strained tone persisting, perhaps even intensifying.</p><p> </p><p>That was when Ivy saw Cherry's eyes widen, the reds in her irises that matched the singer's hair now clearly visible. In fact, they looked too round, far more than what a mess of pixels should allow.</p><p> </p><p>Suddenly, Cherry let out a gasp, her form hunching over and stiffening as though it were bracing against a gale. The air was pierced by what could only be described as an explosion through a blown-out microphone, a discordant burst of white noise.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy and Xenon could only watch as Cherry's already pixilated visage degraded even further, to the extent that she seemed to become just a single mass of tiny black and red squares, only for portions of her body at a time to suddenly materialize back into focus before being consumed by the accursed visual compression once again.</p><p> </p><p>The Architect as well watched as Xenon's hands curled tightly into fists, as he let out a string of frustrated curses, likely at his powerlessness over the situation. Ivy could painfully relate at that moment. Digital ghosts were already a new phenomenon to her. How was she to know how to properly interact with one or determine what kind of struggle Cherry was going through?</p><p> </p><p>The only course of action, as abstract and unreliable as it was, was to pray, to hope that the internal struggle Cherry was suffering from wouldn't lead to her form being rend apart. The scant minutes felt like hours as they could only wait. And with every passing metaphorical hour, it felt as though the glitches and distortions rippling over Cherry's body were intensifying, gradually ramping up to an unpleasant climax.</p><p> </p><p>Then, the miraculous happened.</p><p> </p><p>With the compressed, bitcrushed sound of crashing waves, Cherry's completed form emerged through the pixilated filters, which seemingly tore off of her like a chrysalis and dissolved into the digital ether.</p><p> </p><p>For a second, Cherry stood in place, wide-eyed at what had just transpired.</p><p> </p><p>Then her legs buckled, tipping her over.</p><p> </p><p>"Sherry!" Xenon cried out as he immediately rushed in, arms outstretched. Cherry fell into her old flame's arms, interacting with Xenon's jacket sleeves like a physical object. Only in distant memories did Ivy ever recall Xenon looking at anyone with such an openly relieved and loving face. "Don't worry. I've got you."</p><p> </p><p>Cherry looked up at Xenon apologetically, her gaze now clearly aimed towards her partner's concerned eyes. "I'm sorry. I feel like I'm missing something important, but who are you?"</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Chapter 15</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Ivy and Xenon talk with an amnesiac Cherry.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The virtual internet provided nothing in the way of tangible air. Somehow, Ivy still felt like she was suffocating at that moment. Xenon as well could only look at the perplexed, almost childlike, materialized spirit of Cherry with somber silence.</p><p> </p><p>Cherry looked up at Ivy, causing the hollow sensation in the Architect's chest to only intensify. "I don't know why, but you look like you know where I am. Can you help me out?"</p><p> </p><p>"Can I..." Ivy muttered to herself. She clenched her hand before her mind could go down yet another negativity spiral. Now was not the time for that. She turned to Xenon, hoping that her need for his tacit approval would be apparent on her face. To her relief, he gave her a silent nod back, as uncomfortably hollow-looking as his face was.</p><p> </p><p>"Sherry Pauline..." Ivy started after a moment of stabilizing her voice. "Does that name sound familiar to you?"</p><p> </p><p>"He called me that just now, didn't he?" Cherry asked curiously, looking in Xenon's direction. She frowned upon seeing that his attention had seemingly diverted away from her.</p><p> </p><p>"He did," Ivy conceded before pressing on. "But do you remember hearing that name before Simon called you it?"</p><p> </p><p>Cherry nodded immediately to Ivy's surprise. "There was this other...I think there was a girl here earlier that told me that 'Sherry' was also my name, but she also said that people also called me 'Cherry'?"</p><p> </p><p>Ivy felt tempted to ask the spirit further questions about the identity of this girl she encountered, more than ever suspecting the identity of this mysterious visitor. But the Architect couldn't afford any distraction.</p><p> </p><p>"Think further back," Ivy said instead. "What do you remember before meeting this...girl? Did your surroundings always look like this?"</p><p> </p><p>Cherry took a glance around, her brows furrowing for a moment. "The last time I saw this place, everything was more...red?"</p><p> </p><p>That caused both of Ivy's brows to rise. This version of Cherry had been present in the system during the protocol's infection? That would've meant that she came into existence very shortly after the main Cherry's death at the latest, which in turn led to the question of how that Cherry had managed to seemingly split off her consciousness.</p><p> </p><p>The spirit of Cherry shivered at her own mention. "That's... That's not something I'm comfortable reliving. Is it okay with you if I just don't tell you about that? I don't want to think about it again."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy saw Xenon off to the side grimace suddenly, seemingly in response. The Architect as well could feel a twist in her abdomen as she thought about what an incomplete being like Cherry's spirit might have endured as the protocol ravaged the system. However, she suspected they were not uncomfortable with the same subject. Xenon seemed to be thinking of an incident that was far further back.</p><p> </p><p>This wasn't the first time Cherry had decided against coming clean about some shady activity she was very reluctantly involved with. Of course, that Cherry was coming clean to her close friends.</p><p> </p><p>To this digital replica, Ivy and even Xenon were still just strangers. There was no point in being vulnerable.</p><p> </p><p>"Of course it is," Ivy said as soothingly as she could muster. "Sherry... Do you ever remember seeing a city? Do 'Nodes' ring a bell to you?"</p><p> </p><p>Cherry gave her an odd, almost uneasy look, like she was trying to downplay a mess she had caused. "I do know what both of those are, but I don't think that's what you're asking me."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy's face fell. "So you haven't seen either, I'm assuming."</p><p> </p><p>"All of this is pretty much what I remember seeing," the digital spirit reported sadly. Despite this, she somehow managed a small smile. "It's really got me curious what they look like now."</p><p> </p><p>With the pixilated haze and discordant confusion cleared from her visage, Ivy did now notice a spark of the original plucky young woman, if only just a hint.</p><p> </p><p>Or perhaps, it was more than just a spark. Without prompting, Cherry rose to her feet. It was either a representation of her soul overcoming some kind of threshold, or she had somehow lost her ghostly capabilities when she fully materialized. Either way, her legs were shaky, seemingly from disuse.</p><p> </p><p>Nonetheless, she was able to stand. The moment she was upright, she didn't wobble even a little. "Is that the reason you came to find me? Can I finally see what a city actually looks like?"</p><p> </p><p>Despite the question being asked, there was no desperation in Cherry's tone. Rather, it was simple excitement. That distinction managed to at least make the situation more awkward than heart wrenching. Of course, it was hardly an upgrade.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy and Xenon had spent so long thinking about simply proving that Cherry existed in the virtual internet in some form that they hadn't afforded any thought about where her digital ghost would go after that mission was accomplished. It wasn't like she had a body she could return to now.</p><p> </p><p>Should Ivy bear the bad news to Cherry, tell her that she was a spirit that now lacked a body?</p><p> </p><p>"We wanted to see if you were okay," Xenon said suddenly. With how quiet he had been for so long now, it honestly felt like he was cutting into the conversation just by speaking at all.</p><p> </p><p>"Well, uh, thank you for looking after me, I guess?" Cherry's enthusiasm faltered a bit, but like her physical half, she refused to fully drop her smile in the presence of other people. Instead, she seemed to consciously switch enthusiasm out with curiosity. "So...who are you two? I have your name, but I don't know the girl you're with, or what you two are about. I wasn't exactly all put together, so are you two something like caretakers?"</p><p> </p><p>"Her name is Ivy," Xenon answered bluntly, sparing Ivy a glance before turning all his attention to the ghost of his significant other. "I don't think we're exactly qualified to be called caretakers. We wanted to be more like...rescuers."</p><p> </p><p>"It's just like she said..." Ivy heard Cherry whisper to herself, some genuine excitement managing to worm its way back in to the digital spirit's voice. "Well, I was pretty lost before you two showed up. I've got to thank you a lot specifically, Simon. Somehow, hearing you pulled my brain back together."</p><p> </p><p>"U-Uh well, you're welcome," Xenon fumbled, his eyes darting away for a moment. Evidently, even digital avatars were capable of blushing. "What was that state like exactly? You didn't seem to be able to comprehend your surroundings while that distortion was covering you."</p><p> </p><p>"It was like being surrounded by thick glass," Cherry said, eyes pensively scanning the air as her voice quieted down. "It's weird though. When everything was red, I think I could remember being able to make out all of the individual shades, or maybe I was just hyper-focused because I was freaked out by suddenly waking up there. "</p><p> </p><p>Her smile slowly dropped as she continued on. "Then...afterwards, everything just became blurry and muffled, but for some reason I didn't even feel anxious about it. I just felt tired."</p><p> </p><p>"Drained perhaps..." Ivy murmured grimly to herself, slowly piecing together some idea of the damage the protocol wrought.</p><p> </p><p>"How about now?" Xenon asked, now looking at Cherry intently. "Is everything clear like you remembered it being the first time?"</p><p> </p><p>Cherry took a glance around. The smile returned, if only slightly. "It is. I'll admit it's actually kind of nice here. I mean, there's not really much around us, but it's calming. Like being in a river."</p><p> </p><p>She gave a light, somewhat sad chuckle. "Huh. Funny. I know what thick glass and a river look like, but I can't remember ever actually seeing them. Pretty weird, right?"  </p><p> </p><p>"About as weird as you having memories of cities but no actual experiences with the ones actually here," Xenon remarked. "It's like having knowledge but no experience... And you're saying you just woke up knowing these things right off the bat?"</p><p> </p><p>"I guess?" Cherry responded awkwardly. "It's not exactly the same as actually seeing everything with my own eyes, but at least I'm not confused by everything. Silver lining, right?"</p><p> </p><p>"This feels weirdly familiar," Ivy heard Xenon mutter under his breath. "I really wish we could take you into the outside world so that you can get up to speed on everything, but you don't..."</p><p> </p><p>His voice trailed off, realizing that he had implicitly volunteered to inform Cherry of the state of the physical form.</p><p> </p><p>Cherry gave Xenon an odd look. "I don't...what?"</p><p> </p><p>After the ways Ivy had wronged him, it felt nauseating hoisting such a painful task onto him. Ivy opened her mouth, ready to speak on his behalf with whatever excuse she could come up with in that short period of time.</p><p> </p><p>Then Xenon spoke.</p><p> </p><p>The way he spoke held the same intonation was someone who had just quickly torn off a large bandage. "You don't have a body, Sherry."</p><p> </p><p>Cherry couldn't even force a smile anymore. Her face honestly would've been less painful to look at if she had simply become depressed as opposed to solemn one she went with. "I see... So I'm dead then. Or maybe I was never alive to begin with?"</p><p> </p><p>Just the blunt acceptance in Cherry's tone felt like a physical spear, one that pierced Ivy's chest. There was also an uncanny quality that caused the spear to twist even deeper. Such an underreaction seemed so unlike a normal human to behave.</p><p> </p><p>Xenon could only blink in shock, possibly feeling the same. "You're taking the revelation that your physical body is deceased shockingly well."</p><p> </p><p>"It's not like I remember anything that I might've lost or some past regrets I might've had," Cherry said with a shrug as she took yet another glance around at her surroundings. "So what's this place then? Some kind of afterlife?"</p><p> </p><p>"You're not exactly a ghost either," Xenon said uneasily. This was definitely a concept neither he nor Ivy still have fully wrapped their heads around.</p><p> </p><p>Cherry crossed her arms, now looking slightly irked. "So am I dead or not? I really don't want to be given any false hope here."</p><p> </p><p>Xenon had subjected himself to enough pain. It was Ivy's turn to pipe up. "You're not something abstract and indefinable like a soul. It's more like... From what I can gather, you're a fragment of the physical Sherry's consciousness converted into data and given an avatar."</p><p> </p><p>That was the explanation Ivy could come up with in the moment. She swore she could feel steam billowing from her ears when she struggled to say it out loud.</p><p> </p><p>It predictably took a few seconds for Cherry to process what Ivy had just told her. Unfortunately, judging by the hollow look in the digital ghost's eyes, there was a severe error in the white-haired android's explanation.</p><p> </p><p>"So I'm not even the original Sherry..." Cherry muttered somberly, idly looking at her palm. "Just a copy."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy grimaced. That wasn't the kind of conclusion she wanted Cherry to come to at all. "Please don't view it like that. You're still her. The mind and emotions she had, you also have. Even if you lack her actual physical form and memories, that doesn't mean you're anything less than Sherry Pauline."</p><p> </p><p>Then suddenly, Ivy grasped the side of Cherry's arm, actually feeling the simulation of her fingers making contact with cloth. She couldn't understand what possessed her to do that. Perhaps the physical contact was a means of establishing to Cherry that she was very much a tangible person and not something as cheap as a mere replica.</p><p> </p><p>It was possibly also confirmation for herself. Otherwise, Ivy wouldn't have been shocked that her hand had actually made contact. She could no longer call the Cherry in front of her a ghost.</p><p> </p><p>The young woman looked about as shocked. "You...can touch me?"</p><p> </p><p>The android took it as an opportunity. It wasn't difficult to smile, understanding Cherry's subdued joy at being tangible. "See? You're real."</p><p> </p><p>Cherry's small smile returned. However, a few seconds later it faltered again. "But only here."</p><p> </p><p>There was apparently a connection now between the white-haired android and Xenon's old flame, because Ivy felt her smile falter as well. "It's still a part of the real world. It's just that, for right now, you're just a bit more...restricted in where you can go."</p><p> </p><p>Cherry gave another sad-sounding chuckle. "Silver lining, am I right? You know, it's weird, but have we really not met before? You're suddenly starting to sound really familiar."</p><p> </p><p>The last time Ivy and the previous incarnation of Cherry "interacted", it was through a drone duplicate that the Architect had created to act as security for one of her bases of operation that the young woman and Xenon had discovered. The duplicate wasn't sentient, only capable of spouting preprogrammed phrases as it opened fire, superficially wounding Xenon before Cherry tore it apart with gunfire of her own.</p><p> </p><p>That was hardly a discussion, so why would Cherry think the white-haired android sounded familiar.</p><p> </p><p>"Have we?" Ivy could only ask with a quizzical tilt of the head.</p><p> </p><p>"Yeah..." Cherry murmured as she leaned in closer, her eyes scanning Ivy intently. The android noticed that she seemed to be tracing the outline of her body specifically. Ivy bristled at the seemingly intimate distance now between them before the young woman whispered into her ear. "Is this some kind of secret identity thing? Like, something you want to keep secret from Simon? I won't ask anymore right now if it is."</p><p> </p><p>A certain sneaking suspicion reemerged in Ivy's mind. For a brief moment, she wondered if Cherry's inquiry would give the android enough justification to investigate further.</p><p> </p><p>However, once again, Ivy was able to remind herself that this conversation wasn't about her. "It's better that you don't ask right now."</p><p> </p><p>Cherry gave a confounding knowing smirk as she backed out from Ivy's social bubble. The young woman coughed rather conspicuously. "Well, now that I've got a closer look, I think I might've just been imagining things."</p><p> </p><p>As frustrating as it was being unable to follow the thread of this so-called mystery girl, Ivy at least managed to find some contentment in the higher spirits Cherry was in.</p><p> </p><p>"So do you feel okay with your state now?"</p><p> </p><p>Ivy flinched. She had taken over the conversation for so long that Xenon presence had somehow faded completely into the background. There was something off about his expression, something that suggested he no longer felt comfortable being in the metaphorical room. Though she had helped Cherry through her existential crisis, Ivy still felt like she had made a terrible mistake.</p><p> </p><p>"Yeah!" Cherry responded emphatically in a very deliberate fashion. "Your friend's speech helped me a lot. I...I think I can accept how I am right now."</p><p> </p><p>"That's good," Xenon said with a stiff nod, looking at his old flame with uncertainty. "Do you think you're going to be okay with us...leaving for a little while?"</p><p> </p><p>"I'll be fine!" Cherry said, attempting her best dismissive wave. "You've got whole lives outside of here, right? I'd be a real bitch if I just forced you to stay here."</p><p> </p><p>It was clear how forced the gesture was however, especially with that smile that reminded Ivy of so many similar instances in the past. The white-haired android could also tell from the look on Xenon's face that he understood as well.</p><p> </p><p>But he didn't say anything. There was definitely a clear desire to, but words were failing him. In a manner more robotic than even an actual automaton like Ivy could manage, he began walking away from his former partner, who was content to wave him and Ivy goodbye.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy couldn't just leave Cherry in her current state. "It isn't just blue, Sherry."</p><p> </p><p>Cherry's waving halted. "Pardon?"</p><p> </p><p>"The place we are currently in is just a small fraction of the virtual internet," Ivy elaborated. "And there are others we've gone past who were in a similar state to yours. You don't have to waste your time just waiting for someone to visit."</p><p> </p><p>The young woman's eyebrows furrowed in what appeared to be deep contemplation. "There are others like me..."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy nodded. "As well as an entire world for you to explore unimpeded."</p><p> </p><p>"Looks like I actually have a lot ahead of me then," Cherry sighed. "I'll probably have a lot of stories to tell whenever you two come back."  </p><p> </p><p>Though Ivy smiled and awkwardly waved back before departing, it occurred to her at that moment that she hadn't accounted for another trip into virtual space. It spoke to the lack of preparation on her and Xenon's part that they had expected a single journey to be enough. Despite it being at the focal point of their motivations, they had failed to realize that the digitized soul of Cherry wouldn't have a body to return to. In other words, there was no way to restore her.</p><p> </p><p>In other words, Ivy would never be able to atone for one of her most personal sins.</p><p> </p><p>The best she could hope for was giving this amnesiac fragment of the original Cherry's consciousness some degree of purpose, but that only felt like the easy way out of true repentance.</p><p> </p><p>But attempting to achieve what Ivy considered true atonement would be impossible with the conditions Ivy had set for herself and Xenon. The more times they invaded the virtual internet in quick succession, the greater the risk that one of them would cause serious damage. And the last thing Ivy wanted was to create another scar.</p><p> </p><p>She looked back at Xenon, who had remained silent during the entire return trip. They both knew where he had emerged from, and yet he looked lost the entire time, like he had just chosen a path at random.</p><p> </p><p>Just as their surroundings transitioned back into the virtual hub's neutral light grays and whites, Xenon suddenly spoke up yet again out of the blue as he continued walking. "You were able to talk to her so naturally..."</p><p> </p><p>"Are you talking about my conversation with Sherry?" Ivy asked anxiously as the implications of that exchange began to take root. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have taken over. That was supposed to be your personal moment. You were the one who knew her, not me."</p><p> </p><p>Xenon shook her head. "Nah, I wouldn't have been able to say anything to her. The moment she said she couldn't remember me; I didn't know what else to say. There was so much I wanted to say to Sherry as soon as she broke out of...whatever that pixilated prison was."</p><p> </p><p>He let out what sounded like a particularly long-suffering sigh. "But that wasn't her. Sherry's gone forever."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy couldn't describe the cascade of emotions that flooded through her at those two simple sentences. For a moment her chest felt hollowed out, only for a fire to ignite that compelled her to scream, only for that flame to be snuffed out in the next second.</p><p> </p><p>The force of the words that came out was gone, but they came out nonetheless. "I apologize. This isn't a subject I know you don't want being brought up, but she still acts similarly to the version of her I saw in both of your memories, something I feel like you've forgotten. All she is missing are the memories."</p><p> </p><p>"You're right," Xenon responded. For a moment, Ivy legitimately perked up in a Vanessa-like manner.</p><p> </p><p>However, Xenon wasn't finished. "I don't want you to ever bring that subject up again."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy should've predicted the response, but she couldn't help but feel the coldness in her chest intensify. "I'm sorry..."</p><p> </p><p>They didn't speak a sentence to each other afterwards.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy could only take solace in the fact that the fragments of the barrier she had broken down to grant Xenon access to the virtual internet were simple to reassemble.</p>
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<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Chapter 16</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Ivy debriefs with Vanessa.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The first thing Ivy did upon returning was call Vanessa, just as the pink-haired android requested before Ivy had made her trip.</p><p> </p><p>It twisted Ivy inside when she realized that the first thing she did upon seeing Vanessa on the screen was inspect her face for any sign of deception, any hint that she was fully expecting Ivy's call. It shouldn't have mattered that Vanessa most likely had entered the virtual internet without Ivy's knowledge. The white-haired android knew that Vanessa wouldn't dare harm a single soul, and Cherry's unwitting account more or less reinforced it.</p><p> </p><p>If there was no malicious intent, however, why did Vanessa feel the need to hide it? There was supposed to be no secrets between them...right?</p><p> </p><p>"I-Ivy! I'm so happy that you're back! Did the rescue go well?" Vanessa's delivery was slightly stilted despite the relief and joy on her face being legitimate. Already, she was exposing herself.</p><p> </p><p>So why couldn't Ivy just spit out the question she wanted to ask? "We did manage to find and recover Sherry..."</p><p> </p><p>She tried her hardest not to make the sentence trail off but failed just as badly as Vanessa at keeping her tone inconspicuous.</p><p> </p><p>"Oh..." Vanessa said quietly as her smile faded. "Did... Did something go wrong?"</p><p> </p><p>Ivy proceeded to summarize her and Xenon's interactions with the amnesiac Cherry, the entirety of it up to and including Xenon's rather troubling last words, omitting only Cherry's mentions of a certain girl.</p><p> </p><p>The entire time, the white-haired android couldn't stop herself from gauging Vanessa's reactions to every event. Though she suspected she was scrutinizing too harshly, Ivy couldn't stop herself from interpreting every one of Vanessa's interjections and looks of surprise and disappointment as though the pink-haired android had manipulated the events herself with the intent of a different outcome than what she had received.</p><p> </p><p>It was for benevolent purposes. That's what Ivy had to tell herself every time one of these intrusive observations prodded her mind. Vanessa didn't make a comment, but Ivy suspected that her sporadic pauses during the recollection must have aroused some suspicion in the pink-haired android.</p><p> </p><p>The stretch of silence that followed the summary's conclusion was particularly painful, not because of the sour note the expedition into the virtual internet had ended on but because of the hint of fear and guilt Ivy felt she could detect on Vanessa's face. It was unnervingly similar to a criminal that had failed to establish an alibi during interrogation.</p><p> </p><p>Perhaps the bleakness of the comparison was the reason the question remained firmly lodged in the back of Ivy's throat.</p><p> </p><p>Before Ivy could muster the courage, Vanessa spoke up. "Does Mr. Simon...hate Miss Sherry now?"</p><p> </p><p>The question was abrupt and full of voice cracks, an impromptu outburst rather than something that was long on the mind; a distraction in other words.</p><p> </p><p>And yet, Vanessa had managed to find the perfect question to divert Ivy's attention. Unfortunately, it was a question that was just as troubling.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy decided to pick the softest response she could think of. "I don't think he does... It's just that Simon isn't always the best at talking about his emotions in the moment, and a situation like this is really complicated. This is going to take some time to adjust to."</p><p> </p><p>"So Mr. Simon just said that because it was just something he was thinking about at the moment?" Vanessa asked as a sort of desperation for a hint of hope entered her voice. "Deep down, he still believes he should save Sherry, right?</p><p> </p><p>If this was a truly just a distraction, Vanessa was becoming far too invested in it.</p><p> </p><p>For whatever reason, Ivy was as well. Or maybe it was more accurate to say that the white-haired android was trying her hardest to maintain this tangent.</p><p> </p><p>"I don't think he's that kind of person," Ivy responded hesitantly. "Simon might just need a day or two to process everything, but afterwards, he might begin looking into Sherry's current condition. It wouldn't be like him to just leave something like this unresolved."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy wasn't entirely sure she could believe what she had just said. She recalled the memory of Xenon and Cherry's break-up. The young guitarist was just standing and saying nothing as Cherry threw accusations of him only seeing her as a criminal after he had called her father one for kill his. He remained silent even as Cherry ran away.</p><p> </p><p>For all intents and purposes, he had left their conflict unresolved for eight years, and it took Cherry contacting him for any kind of reconciliation to occur.</p><p> </p><p>"I hope he doesn't stay upset about this," Vanessa said, nervously combing through her hair with her fingers. "Miss Sherry might not be happy if she believes this is what Mr. Simon thinks about her..."</p><p> </p><p>"She seemed fairly comfortable around Simon despite not having any memories about him," Ivy sighed. "Sherry wasn't exactly the most...trusting person even though she tried to be friendly."</p><p> </p><p>"Do you think there's at least a small fragment of him in her memories?" Vanessa asked, perking up slightly.</p><p> </p><p>"She did say that she felt like Simon was supposed to be someone important," Ivy conceded. "Memories are a very complicated subject."</p><p> </p><p>"Does that mean there's a chance she'll remember everything after a while?" Vanessa asked eagerly.</p><p> </p><p>"I..." Ivy started when an unfortunate realization hit her, one tied back to the subject she had previously attempted to consciously avoid. "All we can do is wait then check back with her."</p><p> </p><p>It occurred to Ivy that Cherry might've only pegged Xenon as someone important because the mysterious figure who was possibly Vanessa had unknowingly implanted the idea in the young woman's mind when she was still in a distorted state. Ivy still remembered that the last thing Cherry had been told before the Architect and former administrator arrived was that two people were arriving to help her.</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa looked at Ivy somewhat warily. "Are you planning to return there? Is it no longer just one trip like you said it was?"</p><p> </p><p>Ivy's grip on her phone tightened as she felt a growing strain in her head. The motors in her mental processors were struggling to turn as if the miniature belts turning them tangled. "I...I..."</p><p> </p><p>The pause was in real time, judging by Vanessa's worried look. "Ivy? Are you feeling okay?"</p><p> </p><p>She needed to come up with a response, or her system might actually suffer damage from this extended buffering...</p><p> </p><p>"I thought it would be a single trip, but the mission was a failure! Even though I promised myself I wouldn't, I have to go back!"</p><p> </p><p>The outburst came out quickly and loudly. Ivy swore she could hear the motors in her head now whirring anew, like her system had just rebooted.</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa was staring wide-eyed at her, as though Ivy's words carried the force of a gust of wind. "Ivy..."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy coughed, suddenly feeling a scratchy sensation in her throat. She hadn't anticipated her outburst to be quite so loud. Nonetheless, she continued to speak, wincing at the warbled affectation her voice had taken on. "Sherry was one of the people who died because of my careless actions. I can't consider what little I gave her any kind of atonement. It's nowhere close to what I've robbed from her."</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa's eyes traveled away from the screen to the floor. "You're doing the best you can. That has to count..."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy blinked away the burning sensation in her eyes. "I'm also...confused by everything that has happened."</p><p> </p><p>The white-haired android tried her hardest to look Vanessa in the eyes, only to feel that agonizingly familiar twist in her chest as Vanessa reluctantly looked back at hers. Though she didn't wish to acknowledge it, she could tell that those eyes were expecting the dreaded question.</p><p> </p><p>Perhaps the outburst had broken some kind of barrier within Ivy. The question actually came out this time, as reluctant and haphazard as it was. "Vanessa... Do you still... Do you have access to...um, you know, the virtual internet?"</p><p> </p><p>Ivy saw Vanessa's curled legs lift up into the camera frame as the pink-haired android leaned her face into her knees. There was no doubting the nervous biting of the lip or the eyes struggling to make contact with Ivy. Vanessa knew she had just been found out.</p><p> </p><p>"I have...some," Vanessa finally responded uneasily as she held a hand out in front of her. "It's not like when I was the Core...but I can still enter and look around if I want to."</p><p> </p><p>The pink-haired android was still being evasive. Ivy let out a heavy sigh. "Did you access the virtual internet shortly after leaving the apartment?"</p><p> </p><p>Ivy's core turned cold when she saw Vanessa shut her eyes tightly, clearly terrified of what the other Architect's response was going to be. "I did... I'm sorry..."</p><p> </p><p>"Vanessa..." Ivy whispered as soothingly as she could to the distressed android. Her eyes were burning once again. "Why you would want to hide it?"</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa slowly opened her eyes, which were now shimmering. "I-I was...scared that you'd hate me for using it."</p><p> </p><p>There was fear in her voice, as though she was expecting for Ivy to somehow strike her. Just the thought that Vanessa actually believed this caused Ivy's already damaged throat to clench. If her system were that of a human's, the white-haired android might have been on the verge of vomiting at this point.</p><p> </p><p>"No! No, Vanessa, why would you even think that? What could you do that'd ever make me hate you?"</p><p> </p><p>The way Vanessa glanced away for a moment suggested that the pink-haired android actually had an answer to that particular question. Ivy didn't wish to find out what it was.</p><p> </p><p>"It's just that... after I was disconnected from the Core, I forgot how I even controlled anything through there in the first place or what it looked like," Vanessa said quietly. "You were so afraid about doing something wrong, but you know how that place works. I was really the one that could've ruined everything."</p><p> </p><p>"If you were so afraid you were going to do something wrong, why did you access it?" Ivy tried her hardest to keep anything accusatory from unintentionally entering her tone.  </p><p> </p><p>Vanessa's face fell into her hands. Her fingers pressed tightly against her forehead. "I felt so useless just going home! You were going to suffer again, and I was just letting it happen! It... I just couldn't stop thinking about that! So..."</p><p> </p><p>She swallowed down what sounded like a hiccup. "So I decided to try to help you... It was better than just feeling like I was useless. That's...what I thought when I went in. I don't know why I didn't think I would just mess everything up."</p><p> </p><p>Then Vanessa sniffed loudly. Ivy's core grew heavier. "What was I even thinking hiding this all from you? I don't know what's happening in my brain anymore! What's wrong with me, Ivy?"</p><p> </p><p>"There's nothing wrong with you!" Ivy shouted emphatically. "You were just trying to help like you always were! I can't just hate who you are!"</p><p> </p><p>"I've just been so scared!" Vanessa cried, her face emerging with fresh tear stains streaked down her cheeks. "I-I don't want to lose you again!"</p><p> </p><p>Ivy could feel droplets slide down her cheeks. She so desperately wished they were in the same room so that she could tightly hold the weeping pink-haired girl in a comforting embrace. "When I found you, the only thing I could even think about was finding a way to wake you up so that we could be together again. That's not something that will ever change. The last thing I'd ever want is to leave you, Vanessa."</p><p> </p><p>"I don't want to leave you either..." Vanessa whimpered.</p><p> </p><p>"Then let's never be apart again," Ivy whispered soothingly back.</p><p> </p><p>The pink-haired girl seemed to struggle to steady her breath. It was clear that stifling her sobs had taken a toll.</p><p> </p><p>"Th-This is so embarrassing," Vanessa sniffed as she wiped her eyes. "I-I'm sorry I got like that."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy finally allowed herself to smile a bit as she wiped her own tears away. "There's no shame in acting human. I think I've been told that several times already."</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa actually managed to let out a giggle. "It's funny that we even have the ability to cry. We're supposed to be robots, right?"</p><p> </p><p>After her chest had been constricted for what felt like hours, the white-haired android finally felt the bindings release, allowing her to finally let out a sigh of relief. "I know. It serves no practical purpose, but I guess if we couldn't cry we wouldn't truly be able to express emotions, would we?"</p><p> </p><p>Ivy felt what could only be described as a blooming sensation in her core as she watched Vanessa's face brighten further, the pink-haired girl's previous depression replaced by that enthusiasm she loved so much. "Does that mean you finally like having emotions?"</p><p> </p><p>"I never said I hated having them," Ivy said defensively, though she made little effort to hide the grin on her face. "I just don't like when they flare up when I should be thinking logically. But..."</p><p> </p><p>For once, she didn't mind the warmth that tinged her cheeks. "But if I didn't have them, I don't think we would've met. I can't imagine my life without you now."</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa's cheeks tinged pink as her smile grew positively radiant. "I'll never stop being happy that I met you."</p><p> </p><p>The metaphorical dark cloud over Vanessa's presence in the virtual internet had all but dissipated. Suddenly, it felt as though it had just become another topic of casual discussion. "You know, Sherry had nothing but kind things to say to you when we finally met her. What conversation did the two of you have before Simon and I showed up?"</p><p> </p><p>To Ivy's immense relief, Vanessa didn't react with discomfort to the topic being brought up again. In fact, the pink-haired girl looked overjoyed if somewhat bashful. "Did she really think that? I-I really didn't do much. All I did was try to cheer her up. I didn't really know at the time if I even managed to make her happy because... Well, you know..."</p><p> </p><p>She awkwardly waved her hand in front of her face, likely a miming of the pixilated filter Cherry originally had over her person, before spreading both her hands out to Ivy, as though she was sheepishly presenting her to a superior.</p><p> </p><p>The white-haired android couldn't help but nervously chuckle at the implicit meaning. "Well, your words actually managed to get through to her. We kind of had some difficulties communicating with her, like she had some kind of filter over her muffling our voices. Did you have a similar experience?"</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa tilted her head to the side, eyes up to the ceiling and index finger on chin in contemplation. "Um, no, I don't think so? Maybe there was a weird...wobbly effect in her voice? But I didn't have to talk differently to her than I do with other people."</p><p> </p><p>Her eyes glided to the floor as her brows furrowed. "Maybe that's why she calmed down so quickly. I couldn't really judge from her face, but from the way she acted when I first came up to her, she honestly looked really afraid of me. I was afraid that if I said the wrong thing, she'd run away..."</p><p> </p><p>"Do you remember what you specifically said to Sherry?" Ivy inquired.  </p><p> </p><p>"All I told her that I was there to help her," Vanessa said innocently. "I mean, I tried to say it as gently as I could, but I didn't think it'd calm her down that much. I guess she was just looking for someone to talk to."</p><p> </p><p>"How did that go?" Ivy asked. The questions were becoming less about actually satisfying her curiosity by this point. It was strange considering how the conversation began, but the white-haired android legitimately wanted it to continue now.</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa didn't simply recount afterwards so much as she hummed. As the pink-haired girl continued speaking, Ivy leaned in closer to the screen. It seemed that Vanessa was as unfamiliar as Ivy was with whatever unique capabilities her body possessed. Perhaps it was tied to the lyrical quality the pink-haired girl seemed oblivious to?</p><p> </p><p>That question could wait. Seeing the pink-haired girl beam with some ounce of pride was enough to make Ivy's chest to stir rather pleasantly.</p>
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<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Chapter 17</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Ivy has another meeting with the other Cherry.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ivy was stirred awake from a dream by the chimes of her phone. As in, a series of pings chimed from her phone in a near-continuous stream. That was to say, her phone was being practically bombarded by messages without even a second break in between.</p><p> </p><p>The white-haired android didn't know how she had managed to sleep so soundly throughout the night considering her phone had apparently been receiving calls throughout it. And all of them had been from Neko.</p><p> </p><p>Of course the cat-themed streamer was going to be the first person Vanessa linked the song to. Ivy knew just how large Neko's viewership was. As the thought crossed her mind, it felt as though in her inner wiring was squirming. At this point, Ivy had long since come to the realization that her anxiety over the possibility of having hundreds let alone thousands of eyes on her was far broader. Even if she discovered a way to mask the panels on her cheeks, she probably still would feel anxious moving through a crowd.</p><p> </p><p>The faded remnants of the dream suddenly clung to her mind, causing her to blush slightly. It was another dream where neither she nor Vanessa had any visible mechanical components on their hands...or bodies for that matter this time. The strangest part was that she swore the dream took place not in a vast space like the prior ones but rather one that was more private, though perhaps "domestic" would've been the more accurate term.</p><p> </p><p>Some kind of passionate discussion had occurred between their dreamselves. However, she recalled a kind of heat building in her person as that conversation continued, but it wasn't anger that she had felt. In fact, Ivy had never felt lighter. Gradually, the conversation seemed to fade as she and Vanessa shuffled closer together...</p><p> </p><p>Ivy brushed her lips with a finger. It was strange how many of her dreams ended at that particular part...</p><p> </p><p>The white-haired android shook her head. Dreams were just a fabrication of her imagination. There wasn't a need to dwell on them, not when there were legitimate matters she needed to tend to. She looked back down at the message.</p><p> </p><p>Either Neko's anxiety had managed to keep her up until the early hours of the morning, or the streamer's sleeping schedule was legitimately that abnormal. Was she even awake at this time?</p><p> </p><p>Ivy ended up waiting until noon just to be safe. During that wait, she spent time alternating her finger between Xenon's call icon and the internet's. Her mission through the virtual internet should've cleared her hesitation. She had confronted the damage she wrought upon the system but the journey itself had strained whatever hint of reconciliation she could've achieved with Xenon.</p><p> </p><p>It wasn't a matter of both subjects causing her immense discomfort. No, her emotions were far more complicated and ill-defined and consequently much more frustrating. There was a specific adjective that the humans used that felt the most apt.</p><p> </p><p>"Bittersweet" was the word if Ivy recalled correctly. Yes, the conclusion to Xenon and her journey through the virtual internet was exactly that, though it felt more bitter than sweet on the note it had ended on.</p><p> </p><p>A person was capable of growing resentful, while a realm of pure data was not, Ivy decided. News of Cherry's reappearance online had failed to reach her due to her previous hesitation to access the internet in any form.</p><p> </p><p>Now, Ivy couldn't help but wonder what else the news on her television had failed to cover. This wasn't exactly the first time a supposedly official source of information had gotten the basic facts incorrect. Though she couldn't say that the immediate observations of the average human were any more reliable, commonalities could provide her with a greater insight into the activities of the world.</p><p> </p><p>Anyways, it wasn't like Ivy was going to interact with the iM message boards. She was merely going to browse to pass the necessary amount of time.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy froze the moment she saw the column of posts that plastered the front page.</p><p> </p><p>"NEKO promotes mystery artist known as 'Vee'"</p><p> </p><p>"WHO IS THIS VEE AND WHY HAVEN'T I HEARD MORE FROM HER?"</p><p> </p><p>"Neko's bumping this artist so she must be good!"</p><p> </p><p>"Why hasn't NEKO told us who Vee is yet?"</p><p> </p><p>"Indie musician Vee posts single titled 'Preface'"</p><p> </p><p>"Is Vee just a name NEKO is using to post other music?"</p><p> </p><p>"Who is this 'Vee' that keeps showing up here?"</p><p> </p><p>It had been less than 24 hours...</p><p> </p><p>Was this truly the reach of Neko's influence? And why was Ivy's pseudonym the current center of attention? Though Ivy had observed for herself the prevalence of music in this new society, surely there were topics of more pressing concern?</p><p> </p><p>The matter of the digital spirits within the virtual internet had yet to be properly addressed. In this case, Ivy felt like much more commotion should've erupted over the course of the night. Unlike humans and Ivy as of late, Cherry now no longer had to concern herself with rest and could explore the virtual realm with impunity.</p><p> </p><p>Surely, there had to be news on more sightings. The thought of Cherry being considered a virus or other hostile entity only made Ivy scroll down the front page faster. Ivy's awareness gradually diminished as she did so, her vision narrowing into a kind of tunnel as she became hyper-focused on just the singular name.</p><p> </p><p>Suddenly, that wall of text became obscured by something red and black. Ivy blinked.</p><p> </p><p>"Hey there Ivy! I didn't expect to see you so soon!"</p><p> </p><p>Ivy nearly tumbled over the side of her bed. Upon hearing a disconcerting crack, she immediately scrambled over to the phone she had just hurled against the wall, hoping there was still something to salvage. She breathed a sigh of relief that there was only a slight chip in the corner of the screen.</p><p> </p><p>However, that breath immediately hitched the moment she saw the animated image Cherry still on the screen, standing right in front of the message boards. Ivy had heard of the concept of "breaking the fourth wall", but never before had she seen an actual demonstration of it. It felt almost like a kind of unspoken law was violated at that moment.</p><p> </p><p>"Sorry," Cherry laughed sheepishly. "I didn't know how to announce my presence better."</p><p> </p><p>"It's fine," Ivy sighed. "I don't think there was a way for you to announce yourself any better. Just seeing you back so soon is kind of shocking."</p><p> </p><p>"I probably could've waited," Cherry conceded half-heartedly. "But hey, I did some exploring and found out I actually had a way to see a bit of the outside world. Looks like I won't be as closed off as I thought!"</p><p> </p><p>"You seem to be a quick learner," Ivy mused.</p><p> </p><p>"Well, it's not like I really have much to do except learn," Cherry said with a shrug. "Maybe my head's just that empty, because I was able to pick up on a lot of stuff."</p><p> </p><p>Internally, Ivy wondered if no longer having a body freed Cherry from certain biological restrictions, namely the human brain's usual limit to memory retention. Of course, it felt too insensitive to ask if that was the case.</p><p> </p><p>"What else did you manage to discover on your travels?" Ivy asked instead. "Did you manage to find out a bit more about yourself by looking around there?"</p><p> </p><p>Cherry's smile turned wistful. "I did. As it turns out, there's an entire library I could've walked through the entire time. I didn't think I was that famous."</p><p> </p><p>"Did any of that help you recover your actual memories?" Ivy asked.</p><p> </p><p>"You'd think it would," Cherry sighed, "but nope. It was pretty surreal actually, seeing all that footage on me on stage and hanging out with people. I mean, that girl had my face, but at the same time, it didn't exactly feel like I was looking at myself. It was more like...seeing recordings of some twin sister I never met."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy resisted the impulse to bite her lip, to betray her discomfort at Cherry's statement. The white-haired android had wanted to hold out hope, but it was as Xenon said. Despite the similarities between her and her physical counterpart, it seemed less and less likely that this Cherry would ever reconstitute into the young human woman who had lost her life.</p><p> </p><p>It wasn't fair to the Cherry before her that she was a different person. Ivy's experiences with Aroma's memories already told her everything about how arduous and ultimately damaging it was to live another person's life.</p><p> </p><p>And it wasn't like there were no commonalities between the data and physical versions of Cherry, in a way similar to how there were similarities between Aroma and Kaori. Despite her being constructed from code, Ivy still considered the Cherry before her very much human, someone worth something to many.</p><p> </p><p>"What do you think of this other Cherry?" Ivy asked.</p><p> </p><p>"She honestly seemed like a really cool girl that everyone liked," Cherry said. Unfortunately, as characteristic of her by this point, her eyes turned downcast even as she retained her smile. "I can see why Simon wants to see her again so badly."</p><p> </p><p>"Yes... He really misses her." The truth of the matter was unfortunately much more complicated, with its full scope now only within Xenon's memories. At her heart, the original Cherry was someone Ivy could deem a good person, but she was also a girl haunted by many demons, many of which were a result of the indie rock star's own decisions.</p><p> </p><p>"I was thinking about talking to him a bit more," Cherry said, idly looking away from the screen. "I feel like I ignored him a bit too much during our last visit even though he was the first person I actually saw with my own eyes. Really doesn't feel good thinking back on that."</p><p> </p><p>"You were confused about your state of being," Ivy assured her. "It was completely my decision to pipe in without asking him first."</p><p> </p><p>"Hey," Cherry chided, "you helped me a lot with that talk, you know that?"</p><p> </p><p>The young digital woman took another glance around, one that was rather playful in its conspicuousness. "So, as long as Simon isn't here, do you mind spilling a bit about that secret double life of yours?"</p><p> </p><p>Ivy recoiled slightly at the sudden unexpected callback. "I-I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I still wasn't the one who talked with you while you were trapped in your previous distorted state."</p><p> </p><p>"Eh?" Cherry uttered in confusion. "But didn't you promise me you'd tell me everything?"</p><p> </p><p>"I'm not breaking my promise," Ivy sighed. "I did play along with your idea at the time because I wasn't sure of my own theory, but now I've had it confirmed..."</p><p> </p><p>The Architect presented the panels on her cheeks to Cherry. "There's another person with markings similar to these, except they're on her neck. Her name's Vanessa. She's...someone close to me."</p><p> </p><p>Cherry gave a knowing smile back. "I can tell. 'Birds of a feather', am I right?"</p><p> </p><p>Ivy blinked. "What?"</p><p> </p><p>"You two became close because you've got a lot in common," Cherry clarified. "There's a reason I thought you were her."</p><p> </p><p>"Really?" Ivy asked in genuine confusion. "I always thought we interacted with people differently. Vanessa has always been a lot more...comfortable interacting with people."</p><p> </p><p>"Then I guess she's been rubbing off on you," Cherry said with a shrug. "You didn't seem that awkward talking to me at least. You know, considering everything surrounding it all at the time."</p><p> </p><p>Somehow, Ivy knew the answer immediately. Her body grew tense. "D-Don't take this the wrong way, but I tend to communicate better when I have an objective. And that was to explain your circumstances."</p><p> </p><p>Cherry's eyebrow rose in curiosity. "Well, you're not exactly a stammering mess now either. I don't really know what you mean when you say you're not good with people."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy didn't know whether or not to be relieved that Cherry didn't take much offense. For certain, she knew she wasn't too pleased with the casual observation the young woman had just made. "Let's just say that I've started questioning how my mind operates."</p><p> </p><p>"It's all part of the human experience," Cherry said, letting out a rather sardonic chuckle at her own statement. "Of course, I'm not really one talk."</p><p> </p><p>"So I've been told many times," Ivy said dryly. "Let's just say that this is a recent phenomenon for me."</p><p> </p><p>"Not used to being open?" Cherry asked.</p><p> </p><p>"Not used to feeling emotions strongly at all," Ivy deadpanned.</p><p> </p><p>"Ouch," Cherry winced. "What'd you go through to make you like that?"</p><p> </p><p>"Too much," Ivy said bluntly.</p><p> </p><p>"Oh..." It was as though a lightly glowing hue around Cherry had faded away, one that Ivy hadn't noticed until it suddenly was absent.</p><p> </p><p>A pregnant pause ensued. Cherry clearly had no memories of any of her significant past interactions if she considered Ivy socially competent. Ivy couldn't exactly blame the young woman for accidentally triggering some unpleasant memories. There was no way Cherry would've known just what happened thousands of years ago. Regardless, Ivy had effectively stopped their conversation in its tracks.</p><p> </p><p>Suddenly, Cherry spoke again. "Okay, so that topic's off limits. Got it."</p><p> </p><p>To Ivy's smile, the young woman genuinely smiled. "You definitely look like you're in a better place now though."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy couldn't recall if the Cherry from the past was ever this plucky, at least not as the start where memories painted her as someone frequently hung up on her perceived failures and misdeeds. Considering her apartment room functioned as her holding cell as well, Ivy couldn't necessarily consider her current "place" good either.</p><p> </p><p>It was a curse of her mechanical mind that it took an embarrassing amount of time for her to realize Cherry wasn't referring to a literal location. And once that realization came, Ivy knew that Cherry understood Ivy's current livelihood better than the white-haired android did.</p><p> </p><p>"Against all reason," Ivy contemplated, "I have people who want to help me, who actually want to see me happy. It's...nice."</p><p> </p><p>"Kind of like how you, Vanessa, and Simon helped me while I was lost," Cherry mused. "I really feel like I owe you all for helping me escape...whatever the hell state I was stuck in. I just don't know how I can exactly pay you back from in here."</p><p> </p><p>"The fact that you've taken so well to exploring the virtual internet is more than enough," Ivy responded. "In a way, you still being alive in some way could already be considered payment."</p><p> </p><p>"I'm not sure what my past self was like," Cherry sighed, "but that doesn't feel like enough to me. I feel like I owe Simon at least a visit. Hopefully, I don't freak him out like I kind of did with you."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy's grip on her phone faltered. When he wasn't repressing them outright, Xenon could be incredibly blunt with his emotions. The thought of the former administrator lashing out at the digital woman caused the android's innards to twist. "Maybe wait a few days before you visit. Yesterday was a...particularly stressful time for him, and he's still trying to process everything."</p><p> </p><p>Cherry let out a defeated sigh, scratching the back of her head. "Yeah, that makes sense. And what about Vanessa? Does she also come by here?"</p><p> </p><p>"I'm not sure..." Ivy said hesitantly before suddenly remembering yesterday's conversation with the pink-haired girl. "But I think she'd love to pick back up where your last conversation left off. I'll give her a call later to tell you that you're wandering through."</p><p> </p><p>The young woman practically beamed in response, more like a girl in her early teens than one in her mid 20's. "Alright! I can't meet her again!"</p><p> </p><p>It was rather surreal seeing Cherry literally exit the screen, uncovering the iM boards behind her like a standing theatergoer revealing the movie screen as they walked away. Perhaps the phones and computer monitors really were literally windows rather than just metaphorical ones.</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa seemed to be someone more open to rather strange occurrences. Ivy couldn't help but smile as she thought about how amused the pink-haired girl probably would be at Cherry's sudden appearance.</p><p> </p><p>That smile inexplicably carried on even as Ivy finally made the call to Neko to shed a light on the situation with her new musician identity.</p><p> </p><p>"You seem to be in a good mood," Neko teased.</p><p> </p><p>"I guess I am," Ivy said.</p>
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<a name="section0018"><h2>18. Chapter 18</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Ivy tries talking AMA's with Neko, but things get off track.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"An 'Ask Me Anything' session?" Ivy echoed with a raised brow.</p><p> </p><p>"Yeah!" Neko said enthusiastically. "Like, you know, just talk with your hundreds of new fans! Let them get to know you a bit!"</p><p> </p><p>Ivy glared back. "Do you even know how dangerous that would be?"</p><p> </p><p>"Geez you're scary when you're mad," Neko laughed nervously, holding her hands up possibly in actual surrender. "Neko obviously isn't talking about you telling everyone you're an Architect, but you've got to at least put some of yourself out there if you want to be a star like yours truly or Aroma-chan."</p><p> </p><p>"I didn't even want to be famous," Ivy muttered. "I just wanted to help the people I hurt recover..."</p><p> </p><p>"Then just tell them that you're here to help," Neko said with a shrug. "See? You're already starting to get what you have to do down."</p><p> </p><p>"Is this really necessary?" Ivy sighed, finding herself slumping back against her bare mattress pillow, almost tempted to lull back to sleep once again.</p><p> </p><p>Neko tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Well, there is always the 'cool and mysterious anonymous artist' type..."</p><p> </p><p>Which was exactly what Ivy was during her stint as Æsir.</p><p> </p><p>Even though Neko didn't say it, Ivy could tell just from the awkward stretch of silence and the way the streamer diverted eye contact that this was on her mind. But Ivy wasn't Æsir anymore.</p><p> </p><p>So how would "Vee" react to such a situation?</p><p> </p><p>"Let's not go with that angle," Ivy said. "The last thing I want is for anyone to assume I mean them any harm."</p><p> </p><p>"I-I don't think people would usually go that far..." Neko murmured awkwardly. "An AMA just lets people know that you're friendly right away."</p><p> </p><p>"I guess music can only convey so much," Ivy sighed. "Should I start immediately?"</p><p> </p><p>"Probably not right this very moment," Neko said, teetering from side to side with her eyes up towards the ceiling as though her thoughts were literally floating over her. "Just let your ol' teacher Neko help you get a hang of the ropes. Neko's super good at this kind of thing!"</p><p> </p><p>Ivy eyed the streamer skeptically. Admittedly, Neko's last "teaching session" had allowed Ivy to gain some insight into regaining her drive to create music. However, from just monitoring Neko's various social media feeds in the past as well as the cat-themed streamer's memories, Ivy couldn't exactly say that Neko's relationship with her fans was...stable.</p><p> </p><p>"I'll take that as a guarantee," Ivy muttered under her breath. "So what happens now? Is there a specific procedure I need to go through in order to prepare for this 'AMA'?"</p><p> </p><p>"Oh hell no!" Neko laughed. "It's not even close to super boring like that! Neko would probably die if she had to go through memorizing some script. Maybe it's a good thing Neko never signed onto some big-name company. Boring guys in suits have no idea what improvising is. I don't know how Aroma-chan managed to do it for so long... Freakin' Mono..."</p><p> </p><p>Seeing Neko's face twist into a scowl, likely enduring a familiar unpleasant flashback, Ivy let out an awkward cough.</p><p> </p><p>Immediately, Neko snapped back into reality, her smile returning as though the episode had never occurred. "Ah! Sorry about that! We're not talking about Neko's problems! Let's talk instead about you instead."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy couldn't help but feel a slight twinge of heat in face at the syntax of the remark. Apparently, this sensation was known as "offense"? "What issues do you think I have?"</p><p> </p><p>Obviously, Neko didn't mean anything malicious by what she had just said. Of course, that was partially because Neko wasn't exactly known to think her actions through. It honestly spoke more to Aroma's innate kindness that the idol didn't hold anything against the streamer for the several years Neko spent thoughtlessly speaking ill of her to her fanbase before they had officially met in person. It was still irksome that this wasn't a flaw Neko had yet overcome.</p><p> </p><p>Neko's smile turned lopsided. "Oh... Oh no, that's not what Neko was trying to say at all! It's just...Neko doesn't really know you that much. Not everyone can talk to people the same way, you know."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy felt the need to take a deep breath, cursing the irrationality she had been developing over the course of the past few weeks. "It's... It's fine. But what is there that you need to know about me? Everything about my nature is apparent just form my appearance. It wasn't like I had anything left to hide when we last worked together."</p><p> </p><p>"You are way more complicated than a robot," Neko smirked. "You're also like, what, a buhzillion years old or something."</p><p> </p><p>"Several thousand," Ivy muttered, "though much of that time was spent in hibernation... And I'd rather not discuss what happened before that."</p><p> </p><p>"Why not?" Neko asked, looking slightly distraught. "Isn't that when you met Vanessa? Why wouldn't you want to remember that?"</p><p> </p><p>Was it possible for the flow of time to briefly freeze? Was her body reacting to a question that required more time to consider than what she had at that moment? Regardless, in that split second, Ivy's mind travelled through a multitude of images. All of them featured one important person.</p><p> </p><p>The conclusion was clear. It honestly should've been clear from the beginning. "No, I'd never want to forget about Vanessa."</p><p> </p><p>Neko let out a sigh of relief, like Ivy had just stepped away from the edge of a precarious cliff. "Then tell me about that time! Like the happy stuff, and the stuff that made you figure out how to feel even though you don't have human organs."</p><p> </p><p>And just like that Neko's energy had returned in full force. Ivy couldn't help but feel that Neko was right in the room with her, gradually backing her into a wall with the most uncomfortably starry-eyed stare, even though they were separated by likely several miles in reality. Ivy's voice came out as an uncharacteristic squeak. "Is... Is this what an AMA session is going to feel like?"</p><p> </p><p>"Yep!" Neko responded with an enthusiastic bob of the head. "Neko's giving you the full crash course!"</p><p> </p><p>"I'm beginning to think that I might not be suited to AMA's," Ivy winced. "Is there a way to...ease me into these kinds of scenarios more easily?"</p><p> </p><p>Neko snickered mischievously. "Aw, our little Architect girl is shy? That's so adorable."</p><p> </p><p>"I'm older than you," Ivy deadpanned.</p><p> </p><p>"And yet you still didn't figure out how to be a social expert," Neko lamented in an exaggerated fashion. She gave a toothy grin. "Good thing you got Neko! So, come on Ivy! If you can't have a chat with Neko, you're never going to be set for the limelight!"</p><p> </p><p>For a brief moment, Ivy considered hanging up and retreating back into her covers. Somehow, the streamer had managed to successfully emulate the presence of an entire scrutinizing crowd. However, her hand acted contrary, instead locking ever finger into place. Once again, her mind was struggling to catch up to the whims of her body.</p><p> </p><p>Thankfully, the epiphany did fully emerge. Why was Ivy choosing now of all times to run? Her life had actually been on the line so many times in the past, and on every occasion, she had chosen to face the challenge herself, to a detrimental effect even when she chose to attack the humans who would become her allies and friends.</p><p> </p><p>A conversation with someone she now knew shouldn't have been harrowing in comparison. "Okay, let's practice"</p><p> </p><p>"That's the spirit!" Neko cheered. "So...how'd you and Vanessa meet?"</p><p> </p><p>"First of all," Ivy responded, "why are you so invested in the kind of relationship I have with Vanessa?"</p><p> </p><p>"Can't a girl be curious?" Neko whined. "You went on, like, this whole epic quest just to save her. She's like your princess or something."</p><p> </p><p>"My...princess?" Ivy parroted, feeling her cheeks becoming hot. "I-It is true that in some ways I put her on a pedestal above me..."</p><p> </p><p>Neko smirked back in response. "Come on. We both know that's not what Neko means by 'princess'. You know what metaphors are, right?"</p><p> </p><p>In truth, Ivy had processed enough human interactions to gain a proper understanding of what "princess" had come to mean in the modern era. However, Ivy had, thousands of years ago, told Vanessa that their relationship was comparable to that of sisters. They were definitely closer than mere companions, and there was a greater yearning that extended beyond even the friendship she had now forged with her previous allies. At the time, "Families" and "allies" were the only terms she could recall that could properly convey bonds formed between two individuals.</p><p> </p><p>Since then, she had discovered another term that described a close bond...</p><p> </p><p>"I'm...not sure what to consider Vanessa anymore," Ivy said, eyes drifting down to the free hand clutched over her chest. "All I know is that she's someone I want closest to me."</p><p> </p><p>"Ivy," Neko giggled, "it's okay to just say that you're in love."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy's breath hitched. Her entire system suddenly felt unbearably warm as though her core was overheating. Simultaneously, she slowly lost all sensation in her head, like the innards had just been removed leaving a hollow space. Without a mind, she couldn't stop herself from swaying side to side.</p><p> </p><p>"I've been in love this whole time?" Ivy babbled. "I'm...in love with Vanessa?"</p><p> </p><p>The streamer immediately began panicking. "Crap! Oh God! Did I seriously break you? I-It was just supposed to be a normal question!"</p><p> </p><p>Ivy shook her head, a manner of percussive maintenance to regain her bearings. "N-No, I'm still functioning. Reevaluations just aren't always a smooth process."</p><p> </p><p>"Neko really thought you were just trying to hide it from the rest of us," Neko said slightly sheepishly, "but you actually didn't know you were in love this whole time? But I saw you blush and act all shy and stuff around Vanessa all the time. You didn't notice any of that?"</p><p> </p><p>"I suspected I was malfunctioning during those moments," Ivy admitted. "The sensations were so foreign to me that I just assumed that they only broadly indicated my emotions. I didn't think that any of them could indicate...romantic love."</p><p> </p><p>The warmth remained as Ivy felt her mind drift to memories of the pink-haired girl, but it no longer felt unbearably aggravating. In fact, it was rather comforting, like a fire in the middle of a snow-covered field. "So this is what it feels like?"</p><p> </p><p>"Feels good doesn't it?" Neko sighed wistfully. "So how long have you felt that way about her?"</p><p> </p><p>"This isn't something that's quite so easy to track," Ivy sighed. "I only really began experiencing these more intense sensations when I attempted to awaken her back in the Library, but the feelings of attachment might have developed as early as when I first met her centuries ago."</p><p> </p><p>"Considering the weird hoops you went through just to wake her up," Neko remarked rather casually despite the implied subject matter, "Neko would say it was love at first sight."</p><p> </p><p>"Is that how romantic love usually is?" Ivy asked. Based on the memories she had appropriated, Neko possibly had a similar experience with Aroma. Xenon and Cherry as well might have had a mutual attraction that merely took some more time for Cherry to fully act upon.</p><p> </p><p>"It's a 'sometimes' kind of thing," Neko hummed, "but that's usually only step one, but it seems like you've gotten every other one down pat...except the actual confession."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy blinked. She wasn't designed to comprehend a subject like this, and outside observations could only assist so much. "What do you mean?"</p><p> </p><p>"You already talk to Vanessa every chance you can, right?" Neko teased. "You do your best to get to know her and how she's fit in here, you've gone out with her on a get-together, and you've even shown her around your place. And you probably already talked to each other all the time when you were together those bajillion years ago. If that ain't a couple, Neko doesn't know what is!"</p><p> </p><p>Neko's description nearly fit the memories she had obtained from Xenon and Cherry. With her memory, she should've already had a reference point. The fact that Neko had to spell it out was honestly somewhat humiliating.</p><p> </p><p>"All that's missing is the actual date..." Neko chimed.</p><p> </p><p>This time, Ivy actually drew on prior memories to explain the concept. Unfortunately, it only caused her cheeks to burn. "A-A date? N-Neko, wouldn't that require this love to be shared?" </p><p> </p><p>Neko's mouth fell agape. "Are Architects that dense? Vanessa's been sending you signals since day one! Half of her conversations with us are about you, for crying out loud! She's into you!"</p><p> </p><p>It felt as though a butterfly had been let loose inside Ivy's chest. "A-Are you sure about that? Vanessa is kind to everyone. Am I really an exception?"</p><p> </p><p>"Well," Neko said with a sly grin, "there's only one way to find out, isn't there?"</p><p> </p><p>"I guess there's no alternative in this case," Ivy sighed in defeat. She then paused, her so-called machinelike mind finally beginning to forge the connections it should've at the beginning. "This was never about preparing me for the AMA session, was it?"</p><p> </p><p>Neko immediately burst out laughing, though "cackling" might've been the more accurate term. "Nope! You don't even need to talk during those. It's all just typing stuff. But how else was I going to finally get you to admit it?"</p><p> </p><p>Ivy's hand clenched the phone tightly. So desperately, she wanted to indignantly shout at the streamer for daring to bore into her personal emotions in such a flippant manner. However, Ivy was cognizant enough to realize that she had no room to talk, not when the Architect had committed a more grievous invasion privacy against her and thousands of others.</p><p> </p><p>It wasn't like there was any malicious, selfish intent behind it. Outside of Ivy's blush, what else could Neko possibly have gained from it?</p><p> </p><p>Ivy's grip calmed as she let out a sigh of defeat. "Can we please get back on topic to the AMA's? What can I expect from them?"</p><p> </p><p>"Oh that," Neko said almost dismissively. "That's easy. Just make an account on the iM boards and make a post announcing the AMA. You know, kinda like how you told everyone about Æsir-FEST..."</p><p> </p><p>The cat-themed streamer bit her lip. She might have inexplicably forgiven the white-haired android for the crimes she committed, but it was obvious that the damaging aftermath of Æsir-FEST was far more difficult to discuss in any potentially casual conversation. "You know what? Forget Neko said any of that... Just make a post. Y-You know how to advertise yourself, right?"</p><p> </p><p>The delivery was hasty and slightly panicked, comparable to someone backtracking after accidentally speaking ill of the dead.</p><p> </p><p>Neko let out a conspicuous cough. "Anyways, afterwards, you just have to stick around for the replies to come in, and then just type out an answer to every question. Definitely a lot easier than having to talk to all of them in person, right?"</p><p> </p><p>Ivy wanted to analyze the description Neko had just laid out for her, to get some semblance of a grasp on a facet of the fame she had now been saddled with. Unfortunately, her mind was no longer purely objective-driven and currently was stuck on the troubling memories that had been unearthed again. It was as though Ivy's mind was buffering, stuck on a single set of images as it struggled to switch functions.</p><p> </p><p>It was sadly a bit of a relief when the phone chimed, indicating the presence of another caller attempting to cut into the conversation. The relief was bitter specifically because of who was calling. It was also somewhat surprising to see that the phone was capable of maintaining a three-way conversation.</p><p> </p><p>"Forgive me Ms. Asakura," ConneR greeted with his typical courtesy laced with mild condescension, "but I'll be borrowing my secondary test subject for a moment."</p><p> </p><p>"Eh? Like right now?" Neko whined. "But Neko was teaching Ivy what an AMA session was."</p><p> </p><p>"Then my timing is impeccable," ConneR remarked with a congratulatory clap of the hands before turning is eye to the white-haired android. "What do you say to a bit of exercise in physical social interaction? I'm sure Rin would be eager to meet her long-distance partner."</p><p> </p><p>And like that, ConneR had unfortunately hooked Ivy in.</p>
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<a name="section0019"><h2>19. Chapter 19</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Ivy deals with her newly-discovered feelings for Vanessa while stuck in a car with her.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sagar had successfully managed to liberate Rin from A.R.C. HQ with none except Sagar's own inner circle being all the wiser to the researcher's true nature. That was at least how ConneR fancifully referred to the event, though Ivy suspected the actual circumstances behind the transfer were far more mundane. Vanessa, after all, had freely talked about Sagar and Rin's plans a little over a week ago.</p><p> </p><p>The Exploration Team captain and HQ researcher were now living together in a fairly large apartment in Node 08, one that the archaeologist noted now practically doubled as a miniature greenhouse with the number of plants Rin took with her. ConneR seemed particular about voicing his speculation over the state of Sagar and Rin's new living space, specifically how the plants Rin maintained were a stand-in for the people she was still hesitant to meet whenever Sagar had to leave for one of his team's excursions.</p><p> </p><p>ConneR suspected that Rin would be more willing to speak to her own kind.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy could tell immediately that ConneR was simply fabricating a narrative to justify the rather risky transaction of transporting her across several Nodes, far away from her arranged prison cell. And yet, the white-haired android was willing to risk the possibility of being marked a fugitive. The fact that the car outside of the apartment was purely domestic and thus lacking tinted windows should've aroused her paranoia.</p><p> </p><p>For all she knew, walking past the apartment's front door might've summoned an army of agents at her intended destination. That would put Sagar and Rin in a particualrly precarious position.</p><p> </p><p>It felt selfish to walk up to the passenger seat door afterwards.</p><p> </p><p>Then Ivy opened the door...</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa was off on the other side of the backseat, waving back at Ivy with a rather shy and awkward smile, clearly just as surprised as Ivy was by the revelation. "H-Hey there, Ivy. Are you coming to see Rin too?"</p><p> </p><p>"I'm sorry," Ivy fumbled. "ConneR never told me that you were also coming along."</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa laughed nervously. "Yeah, he didn't tell me about you either. But it's good to see you again so soon!"</p><p> </p><p>Despite how obvious ConneR's set-up had been and Ivy's now increasing irritation with the archaeologist's seemingly pathological desire to deceive, the white-haired android couldn't deny the pleasant warmth that was brewing in her chest.</p><p> </p><p>"It's a nice surprise," Ivy said with a small smile as she entered.</p><p> </p><p>In the grand scheme of time, it actually hadn't been so long ago when Ivy had last ridden in a car. However, in terms of raw sensation, it felt as though years had passed. The memories of the silent, isolating, self-reflective ride through civilization felt much more distant now. Machines were supposed to retain their memories, but there was undoubtedly a faded quality to the recollection, requiring the hum of the car's engine to illuminate them once again.</p><p> </p><p>There was enough of a picture for Ivy to understand the main difference to the scenario before her now. This time, strangers didn't surround her.</p><p> </p><p>"Is this your first time seeing Rin in person?" Vanessa asked.</p><p> </p><p>"It is," Ivy said. "I do have a vague idea of what she looks like due to our exchanges in the virtual internet, but I have a feeling it's not exactly the same as actually meeting with her physically. Do you meet with her often? What's she like?"</p><p> </p><p>"It's not that often," Vanessa sighed regretfully. "The first time was kind of complicated. I was accompanying Mr. Neumann on a trip and happened to meet with Sagar..."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy's brows furrowed. Considering ConneR's rather contentious relationship with the A.R.C., it was honestly difficult to believe that the archaeologist could've met with Sagar under casual circumstances within the Nodes.</p><p> </p><p>The fact that ConneR would be as careless as to bring Vanessa along on one of his legally dubious excursions caused a different kind of burning sensation in her chest. "And just what kind of trip was this exactly?"</p><p> </p><p>"Rest assured," ConneR called out suddenly from the front seat, "it was just a meeting by happenstance. Fortune does tend to provide me with new opportunities for good or ill."</p><p> </p><p>"He wasn't taking me anywhere dangerous!" Vanessa said with a frantic defensive wave of the hands. "And it's Sagar who took me to see Rin several times, so I didn't have to worry about any, um, unwanted attention."</p><p> </p><p>"As per the arrangements I made with Captain Thakker during that fateful meeting," ConneR quipped. "It certainly helps that her mechanical parts aren't easily noticeable at a glance...assuming she's fully clothed, of course."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy found herself unconsciously stroking the panels on her cheeks. With a groan, she pulled her hood further over her head.</p><p> </p><p>"I don't think Ivy's panels would bring that much attention," Vanessa suddenly piped up. "There are humans that tattoo circuitry patterns and other lines on their faces, so she could just walk outside with her hood down just fine."</p><p> </p><p>The white-haired android looked back up to see the pink-haired girl gripping the hem of her skirt, looking at ConneR with an uncharacteristic sharpness in her eyes.</p><p> </p><p>"I suppose you have a point," ConneR said with a chuckle, clearly unperturbed by the deviation in Vanessa's usual demeanor. He raised his prosthetic arm, rather consciously twisting it around noisily. "Passerby have somehow managed to overlook something this egregious, so a few markings likely wouldn't arouse too much suspicion. Fashion of the younger generation isn't exactly on my list of priorities, admittedly."</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa's eyes softened a bit as she turned back to Ivy, almost as though a literal dial had been turned on the pink-haired girl's aggression levels. "You're with friends right now, Ivy. You don't have to worry about how we'll judge you."</p><p> </p><p>That was discounting the comment ConneR had made at Ivy's expense, the white-haired android noted to herself, but Ivy understood the intent enough to not complain. Reluctantly, Ivy loosened her grip on her hood, allowing it to slowly peel back.</p><p> </p><p>"There you are," Vanessa said softly with a bright smile.</p><p> </p><p>Whatever self-conscious discomfort Ivy typically felt whenever her hood was down all but evaporated. She could only wonder why that was the case now, as the last time Vanessa got her to pull back her hood, Ivy still felt somewhat exposed despite the pink-haired girl's comforting words. Perhaps the more private environment was a factor?</p><p> </p><p>No, Ivy couldn't use that theory. It was just a blatant excuse.</p><p> </p><p>"Why are you shaking your head?" Vanessa asked curiously.</p><p> </p><p>The white-haired android's cheeks heated up as she realized she had physically responded to what should've been a purely internal inquiry. "I...feel better with my hood down now, but I can't figure out why."</p><p> </p><p>"Maybe not every feeling we have needs an explanation," Vanessa posited. The look she gave Ivy was that of awe. "I just feel happy whenever I can see your face. That's really as far as the thought's gone."</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa liked how Ivy looked? Was the pink-haired girl actually attracted to her physically? Ivy began shuffling in her seat, face practically burning as she turned away. If she looked at Vanessa any longer, she feared her system would literally overheat.</p><p> </p><p>"A-And I feel happy whenever I see you...smile," Ivy responded awkwardly.</p><p> </p><p>She heard the pink-haired girl let out a squeak before her response fumbled out. "Th-Thank you. That means a lot."</p><p> </p><p>With the presence of two familiar faces, it felt customary for Ivy to continue to conversation until the car reached its destination. Words failed to come to mind, however. Awkward silence reigned as Ivy and Vanessa periodically stole glances at one another. The white-haired android suspected the pink-haired girl was considering broaching a subject whenever she wasn't waiting for Ivy to speak whatever was on her mind.</p><p> </p><p>Unfortunately, Ivy's thoughts had been particularly disorganized as of late. There were no casual topics she could construct.</p><p> </p><p>Every thought only peeled back to reveal a single reoccurring sentence:</p><p> </p><p>"I love you, Vanessa."</p><p> </p><p>A knot seemed to form in her innards whenever the thought crossed her mind, particularly as that thought was beaten away by thousands of dissenting voices. There was no fully rational basis, but Ivy believed deep down that if she said those words out loud at the wrong time, the resulting rift between her and Vanessa would be irreparable.</p><p> </p><p>This was the wrong time.</p><p> </p><p>There would be plenty of time to talk with Vanessa about other topics, Ivy reasoned to herself. After all, they were about to pay a visit to one of their own kind, someone they could connect to on a much more fundamental level. Surely, there would be centuries of stories to share.</p><p> </p><p>Architects had no need for sleep, but Ivy found her eyelids growing heavier as the silent trip persisted. She spared one more glance at Vanessa, who was idly looking at the passing street lights and billboards in the distance. The pink-haired girl's smile was still there but the awe she had when she explored Ivy's block with her was absent.</p><p> </p><p>Maybe Vanessa was simply used to the sight by now, but Ivy couldn't help but feel uncomfortable at the sight.</p><p> </p><p>"Vanessa?" Ivy mumbled. "Are you feeling alright?"</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa abruptly stirred, like her own body had entered a form of sleep mode despite her eyes being opened. "What? Oh, yes, I'm feeling okay? Why do you ask?"</p><p> </p><p>Ivy paused, feeling the lull dragging her consciousness away. "It's nothing."</p><p> </p><p>"Sweet dreams." That was the last thing she heard Vanessa murmur before sleep overtook her.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy saw Vanessa weeping. A spotlight was on her, the only source of light in what was otherwise a pitch-black void.</p><p> </p><p>"Vanessa?" Ivy called out. "Vanessa? What's wrong?"</p><p> </p><p>The pink-haired android refused to turn around. And Ivy's body refused to move. All Ivy could do was shout until her throat felt sore.</p><p> </p><p>Needless to say, it came as an almost literal jolt to her system when Ivy was stirred awake. For a brief moment, her limbs flailed as the sensation of control returned to them.</p><p> </p><p>"I'm sorry!" Vanessa squeaked sheepishly. "Did I wake you up at a bad time?"</p><p> </p><p>"N-No," Ivy said as she shook her head, trying to reorient herself. Just like the previous time she had fallen asleep in a vehicle, she felt an unpleasant tingling in the back of her throat. "Y-You woke me up just in time actually. Are we there?"</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa nodded. "Would you like to sit for a moment to regain your bearings?"</p><p> </p><p>"Being outside would probably help me better," Ivy said.</p><p> </p><p>The white-haired android's legs quivered as she stepped outside, her environment spinning for a brief moment that intensified the uncomfortable sensation in her throat further. She made a note to never fall asleep in a movie vehicle again.</p><p> </p><p>However, her focus seemed sharpen in an instant when she turned her head back around to the girl still in the car slowly making her exit.</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa seemed to pause for a moment as she lowered herself out of the car onto the pavement. There was an almost ginger quality to the way her feet touched down onto the floor, like one wrong step could cause her entire leg to twist in the wrong direction.</p><p> </p><p>"Well isn't this a curious sight," ConneR suddenly remarked. "Evidently, even androids are capable of getting motion sickness. It seems whoever constructed your kind took pains to ensure you all had the whole human experience."</p><p> </p><p>Rather infuriatingly, the archaeologist didn't even flinch when Ivy shot a glare in his direction. Then again, considering the life of constant risk he had led, nothing short of a legitimate physical threat would likely cause him to stir. He was probably used to getting nasty looks all the time.</p><p> </p><p>"We're just not used to moving transports," Vanessa explained. "It's just something we have to adjust to."</p><p> </p><p>The way Vanessa spoke up couldn't help but sound slightly conspicuous. It was as though the pink-haired girl was forcefully affirming ConneR's observation to keep him from scrutinizing further.</p><p> </p><p>Unfortunately, as much as she hated herself for doing so, Ivy couldn't help but silently do just that. The way Vanessa exited the vehicle didn't seem to be tied to a kind of disorientation. It seemed more like the pink-haired girl was aware of some growing frailty in her body.</p><p> </p><p>"Come on now. Rin's been looking forward to this meeting for a while now, I suspect."</p><p> </p><p>At ConneR's call from the apartment's front door, Ivy shoved these observations into the back of her head. She shouldn't forget the reason why she agreed to the risky journey to Node 08.</p><p> </p><p>A quick scan of the area was all she allowed herself before she followed ConneR's lead into the apartment building. Though from just that cursory glance, Ivy could immediately peg her surroundings as a kind of wealthier counterpart to the place she now somewhat considered home.</p><p> </p><p>Her auditory receptors could pick up a kind of commotion of passerby that she never heard even while exploring her block with Vanessa. Stains and cracks were practically nonexistent along the pavement and building walls, a clear sign of their maintenance, while the main apartment complex in front of her was clearly painted a mellower shade of beige to present a more pleasant exterior.</p><p> </p><p>And yet, despite how much her rather dark colors likely clashed with her surroundings, Ivy didn't feel the need to hide or even pull her hood back up. Strangely enough, she did not feel at risk despite her being far from her makeshift holding cell.</p><p> </p><p>With the chime of a bell and a click, the front door slid open. Keeping with the theme of contrasting with her own living space, the interior was well-lit and well-maintained. Though ConneR was right by the doorway, to Ivy's surprise, he opted to stand aside rather than lead the way.</p><p> </p><p>"Ladies first."</p><p> </p><p>Of course, he still had to be smug about it. Ivy fought against the compulsion to roll her eyes as she took ConneR's offer. As she stepped through the doorway, her eyes glanced back at Vanessa following her lead. The pink-haired girl's movements seemed less...loose and free than what Ivy was used to. Each step felt deliberate, too much like Ivy's own.</p><p> </p><p>Unconsciously, Ivy extended out a hand as Vanessa reached the doorway. It was Vanessa' light gasp that clued Ivy into what arm had done without her mind's consent.</p><p> </p><p>"B-Be careful," Ivy stumbled, attempting to find a rational behind her own actions.</p><p> </p><p>"Thank you," Vanessa said, blushing as she looked her assistant with a shy smile.</p><p> </p><p>Watching the pink-haired girl fiddle with the flower in her hair for some reason made Ivy's core pulse rapidly.</p><p> </p><p>"The room number is 485," ConneR called out. "Have fun, you two."</p><p> </p><p>Then he shut the door, the abruptness of the action causing Ivy to flinch back slightly. There was the prior assumption that ConneR was going to accompany the two of them to the meeting. Obviously, he'd find a way to cut off communications before Ivy could figure out the right questions to ask.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy could only let out an exasperated sigh as she turned back to Vanessa, who was looking back at her rather sheepishly. "Is he always like this?"</p><p> </p><p>"You get used to it," Vanessa said with a half-hearted shrug. "It's not like they've ever been harmful. Maybe it's just something like a...quirk for him?"</p><p> </p><p>The white-haired android opted not to tell Vanessa about the time ConneR purposefully gave Cherry incorrect information during Xenon's jailbreak from A.R.C. custody so that she would attract the attention of the security.</p><p> </p><p>"If it's supposed to be a joke," Ivy remarked dryly as she called down the elevator, "it's not as amusing as he thinks it is."</p><p> </p><p>"I guess it wouldn't be," Vanessa conceded.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy had to forcibly think ahead to the kind of conversation she and Vanessa were going to have with Rin. It was the only way for her not to think about the lack of space between her and the pink-haired girl on the way up.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0020"><h2>20. Chapter 20</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Ivy and Vanessa find out more about Architects from Rin.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sagar took one look at the two Architects standing behind the doorway and sighed. He was dressed in his expedition uniform sans cloak, likely having been caught in the middle of making preparations to meet with his team. "I'm guessing Dr. Neumann put you two up to this?"</p><p> </p><p>"Not at all," Vanessa said with a shake of the head. "We really wanted to see you two."</p><p> </p><p>"Even though I had assumed Mr. Neumann would be joining us," Ivy added in dryly.</p><p> </p><p>Her nose wrinkled slightly at a distant yet familiar scent, reigniting memories of when she had awoken alone in the middle of a forest. To think Rin would have enough plants in her living space elicit such an image.</p><p> </p><p>The A.R.C. captain jerked his head casually to his apartment interior. "Well, since you probably drove a while to get here, I guess you can come in for a bit. Rin'll probably be happy to see you two."</p><p> </p><p>"I'm guessing Mr. Neumann didn't tell you about our visit ahead of time," Ivy said as she entered. "Do you need to leave immediately? You're clearly not dressed for a casual setting."</p><p> </p><p>"I can welcome you in at least," Sagar said.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy fully expected Vanessa to move ahead of her. The pink-haired girl was typically much more receptive of fully absorbing new environments. However, Vanessa simply followed closely behind Ivy, her steps just as short and delicate as when she exited the car.</p><p> </p><p>That look of wonder on Vanessa's face as they fully scoped out Sagar and Rin's significantly more spacious living arrangements was completely legitimate, however. It seemed to be more a matter of Vanessa being unusually careful with her movements than becoming indifferent to her surroundings.</p><p> </p><p>And though Ivy didn't have any room to complain about her living arrangements considering the circumstances around them, she still couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy. A few steps through the doorway and past a kitchen that was significantly lacking in stains, Ivy was met with a large square space, on hardly covered by the significantly better-kept couch and TV. The space would've been downright barren had it not been for the makeshift garden spilling out of the furthest corner of the room.</p><p> </p><p>A certain dark-haired girl wearing a fully-concealing lab uniform was currently attending to them, humming a tune to herself. "Sagar? I thought you had to leave for another expedition. Did you need to come back for something?"</p><p> </p><p>The girl turned around, revealing a familiar braid of hair trailing down her shoulder and a very familiar set of round spectacles. Her green irises immediately shrunk in shock at the two guests who had just entered the room.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy could only stare right back. In virtual space, she could discern Rin's true identity as an Architect, but in the real world, she was all but indistinguishable from a human. The researcher's hands were now fully on display, completely missing the mechanical components that marked Ivy and even Vanessa's own.</p><p> </p><p>"Hey..." Vanessa greeted with a hesitant wave. "It's me again. And I brought someone you might know."</p><p> </p><p>There was another stretch of silence.</p><p> </p><p>"Do you...recognize me?" Ivy finally asked, making sure to maintain a respectable distance from the more skittish android.</p><p> </p><p>The lack of response and the uneasy look in Rin's eyes was a hint that she did not. Of course, their communications required at least a degree of anonymity for the sake of Rin's protection, so it was likely the bespectacled android never discovered Ivy's full image. A thought suddenly occurred to Ivy's mind, one that sounded somewhat ridiculous on paper.</p><p> </p><p>Just then, Sagar had come back into the room. "Rin, I'd like you to--"</p><p> </p><p>But, by then, Ivy had already acted on the thought, pulling her hood back over her head.</p><p> </p><p>Rin's previously fearful eyes slowly faded into curiosity as Ivy's silhouette likely became much more recognizable. "Ivy? Is that you?"</p><p> </p><p>"It's good to finally meet you," Ivy said, lowering her hood down, allowing the smile on her face to be exposed. "We've got a lot to talk about."</p><p> </p><p>Rin smiled back, bowing her head respectfully as she gestured to the dining table by the kitchen. "Of course. Please, have a seat."</p><p> </p><p>Sagar, who had been observing the reunion, turned around with a warm, knowing smile of his face and a casual wave. "Well, looks like you're all caught up. I'll just head back out and let all of you catch up on...well, everything."</p><p> </p><p>"Make sure to--" Rin began to call out.</p><p> </p><p>"Don't worry," Sagar chuckled as he headed out. "I'll make sure to call you back as soon as I return from the meeting."</p><p> </p><p>The smile on Rin's face as she waved the young captain goodbye was more than familiar to Ivy. After all, she had seen Neko make that face quite a few times already when looking at Aroma. The white-haired android flashed back to the rather mischievous look on Vanessa's face when the pink-haired girl had first described Sagar and Rin's changed living arrangements all those weeks ago. Now, Ivy was more than aware of the implications.</p><p> </p><p>The logistics of a relationship between a machine and a human was not a topic Ivy was sure she was comfortable pursuing. A machine falling in love with another machine was already enough for her to grapple with.</p><p> </p><p>"I don't think we really had much of a chance to talk about ourselves when we first met," Rin admitted. She smiled sheepishly. "Vanessa did fill me in on some things, though."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy raised an eyebrow. "Such as?"</p><p> </p><p>"Mostly about how the two of you met and where you two were first activated," Rin said. She giggled a bit. "It's honestly a relief to see that you match Vanessa's description completely."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy frowned at Vanessa, who merely shrugged playfully back.</p><p> </p><p>Rin's eyebrows furrowed slightly. "That actually brings me to what I wanted to talk to you about if I ever was able to meet with you. I...don't think we come from the same place. In fact, I might be significantly older than both of you, chronologically I mean."</p><p> </p><p>The claim actually caused Ivy to recoil back a bit. "You're...not from the Bunker?"</p><p> </p><p>Rin shook her head. "At least, I don't have any memories of one that resembled the one you and Vanessa lived in. It's going to sound strange to you two, but I remember being in a city populated by humans."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy's eyes grew wide.</p><p> </p><p>"You mean Architects existed before humans were put in stasis?" Vanessa gasped. "But I thought our purpose was to help humanity rebuild civilization."</p><p> </p><p>"My memories of the past are not entirely intact," Rin admitted nervously. "Maybe they've been distorted in some way, but I do have images in my mind of Architects and humans existing side by side in a civilization that had already been built."</p><p> </p><p>Despite everything they had gone through, it seemed the world still had secrets left to catch Ivy and Vanessa off guard. Now there was a being before them who had a</p><p> </p><p>"So do you remember what your purpose was during this period of time?" Ivy asked.</p><p> </p><p>"It's no different from what you two were designed for," Rin responded. "We were just around to help the humans, though it wasn't about overseeing large-scale reconstruction and more just assisting them in their day-to-day tasks."</p><p> </p><p>"It's strange," Ivy observed somberly, feeling her hand clench. "From the automated messages we had received in the Bunker, I believed we were specifically made for the reconstruction of human civilization. As it turns out, we've just been repurposed the entire time."</p><p> </p><p>The white-haired android looked over to the side to see Vanessa looking down at her hands with a similarly somber expression.</p><p> </p><p>"I wouldn't say you were recycled exactly," Rin said, voice wavering with a kind of forced firmness. "Vanessa told me the two of you awakened already looking like...well, that?"</p><p> </p><p>The bespectacled android gestured to her own face loosely. "All of this was a result of some people Sagar knew. I don't think I even possessed hair before I unexpectedly went to sleep all those centuries ago."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy's widened. "The A.R.C. has access to that kind of technology?"</p><p> </p><p>"You mean there's a way for us to look completely human?" Vanessa asked, looking Rin with eyes that were practically glittering.</p><p> </p><p>"I-It was f-foreign technology to me," Rin stammered, retreating further back into her chair. "And Sagar was risking a lot by making the request in the first place. H-He did a lot for me that he didn't have to..."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy noticed Rin fidgeting around with her glasses as her recollection trailed off.</p><p> </p><p>"Anyways," Rin resumed meekly, "I think you two already have everything needed to help you blend in."</p><p> </p><p>"See?" Vanessa remarked, playfully nudging Ivy's arm.</p><p> </p><p>Despite the groan Ivy gave, she couldn't help but smile a bit. "Are you saying that you only possessed the default Architect framework before your body was remade? We did encounter many of them in the Bunker, though there were others that looked like us more."</p><p> </p><p>"Now that's odd," Rin said. "Did you find any trend to why that was?"</p><p> </p><p>"Now that I think about it," Vanessa pondered, "the Architects that looked like the standard models only followed their routines. They didn't even seem to notice our physical differences."</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa's words brought Ivy back to the past. There had been no need for an android to observe themselves in a mirror, so the white-haired android had assumed she was no different from the rows of walking blank slates in front of and behind her.</p><p> </p><p>Then she saw Vanessa for the first time, her peach skin and pink hair standing out from the crowds of bluish grays. Then she observed herself for the first time and realized that, while the two of them were alike, they were anomalies among the sea of identical automatons.</p><p> </p><p>The only other androids they encountered who were similarly distinct were...the Blessed, the Awakened Architects who had decided to exterminate humankind as soon as civilization was rebuilt. It was also a reminder that Vanessa had not been fully Awakened at the time, possessing independent thought but still being beholden that her pre-programmed protocols...including that accursed one that had forced her to kill.</p><p> </p><p>However, that only made Vanessa's physical appearance all the more bizarre now that Ivy thought of the matter further. The two of them had unfortunately witnessed the Blessed's extermination of the partially Awakened, and none of them possessed the human appearance to the same degree that the pink-haired girl did.</p><p> </p><p>But would Vanessa want to even be considered exceptional in that regard?</p><p> </p><p>"What are you thinking about, Ivy?" Vanessa suddenly asked.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy flinched, realizing that her thought process had occurred nearly in real time. She clenched her teeth through closed lips, trying to find a way to sift through her ideas in a way that didn't sound too distressing. "About...our purpose. We were designed to be able to experience and even express emotions, and we were seemingly given human appearances to coincide with this. In many ways, it's like we were actually designed to be as human as possible. And yet, some of us were also given a greater link to technology, which gives us an advantage over most humans. I can't... I don't want to believe we created to replace humankind, but then why were we designed like this?"</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa and Rin's looks weren't exactly wide-eyed, but they were silent for a dreadfully long moment. It felt as though Ivy's core was flickering.  </p><p> </p><p>"I-I don't think I'd know," Rin stammered briefly before she took on a look of contemplation. "This greater connection to technology seems to be something only your models possess. Everything about it I know and what I helped you with was specifically I was trained for after I became a data analyst for the A.R.C. Even in my older memories, I only remember doing tasks for...someone."</p><p> </p><p>The bespectacled android gripped the hem of her dress tightly. "I feel like I should remember who they were, but it hurts to try to focus my distant memories every time. I can retain information in the present, but everything from what was probably centuries ago is...almost like a dream."</p><p> </p><p>The longer the conversation was going on, the more Ivy was spotting the differences between the generations of Architects despite their mechanical inner workings and capacity for freewill. To lose ones memories of the past unfortunately felt like a human phenomenon.</p><p> </p><p>"Was it a happy dream at least?" Vanessa asked cautiously.</p><p> </p><p>"Sometimes," Rin said, managing a small smile that quickly faded. "But it was also somewhat confusing. I didn't know why I had the ability to think and feel like a human despite being so different. And I was so afraid of a human discovering I was like that and thinking I was malfunctioning, so I couldn't do anything with it in the old world."</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa's face fell. "I'm sorry..."</p><p> </p><p>"That was just what I was like in the past," Rin said somewhat forcefully, perhaps even desperately, like she was trying to push the old memories away. "Sagar finding me centuries later might have been the best thing to ever happen to me. He introduced me to people who were actually willing to accept me, to make me one of their own."</p><p> </p><p>The bespectacled android looked down fondly at her hands, which were completely devoid of panels and mechanical joints. "Still... To tell you the truth, I haven't exactly been that good at embracing human society. There's just always this paranoia in the back of my mind that flares up whenever I'm not with Sagar. I feel like, at any moment, I could be discovered as not being quite like everyone else."</p><p> </p><p>She looked back up at Vanessa curiously. "You don't seem to be afraid despite also being an Architect. What did you do to get over that fear?"</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa blinked at Rin in surprise before her face suddenly turned bashful with a slight blush on her cheeks. "I... I'm sorry, I don't mean to sound superior when I say this, but I never was thinking about being afraid. After I was freed from the Core, one of the first things I wanted to do was talk to everyone who helped Ivy awaken me. And after that, when I was finally able to see human civilization for the first time, all I wanted to do was explore as much of it as I could."</p><p> </p><p>"Vanessa has always been the curious one," Ivy sighed, feeling a smile tugging at her cheeks. "I think she already told you about how she asked a lot of questions about the world shortly after we first met?"</p><p> </p><p>"It's because you always have the answers," Vanessa responded happily. "I learned so much just from spending time with you!"</p><p> </p><p>"I'm not so sure that's really true anymore," Ivy muttered, now feeling that small smile fall. "You've already figured out how to fit into human society far better than I ever could have."</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa's eyes turned somber even as her smile remained. "It's just that you weren't given the opportunity to see the world as much..."</p><p> </p><p>"I had my chance and wasted it," Ivy said sharply. "I was hiding in the Nodes for weeks, keeping myself closed off from everyone else because I didn't think I could trust anyone. And...well, I don't think any of us want to talk about what happened when I tried to do things by myself."</p><p> </p><p>"You don't have to bring that up every time," Vanessa murmured in an uncharacteristically sour tone.</p><p> </p><p>"I'm saying I'm not the expert you thought I was," Ivy argued as gently as she could.</p><p> </p><p>"Then I'd gladly help you become one," Vanessa announced, voice somehow both kind and fierce. "No matter how long it takes."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy recoiled a bit from the sudden burst of intensity. However, for reasons she couldn't exactly define, she involuntarily let out a girlish giggle. "You're really not going to let me just stew on this, are you?"</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa didn't say a word. She simply and firmly shook her head.</p><p> </p><p>For a brief moment, their eyes remained firmly locked on each other.</p><p> </p><p>Then it hit both of them that there was another person at the table. Rin only looked back at them shyly, likely wondering if she should intrude.</p><p> </p><p>"Oh I'm sorry," Vanessa chuckled awkwardly. "I made it all about us."</p><p> </p><p>"Not necessarily," Rin said with a smile, "I think I got something out of that too. In a way, Ivy's struggles are similar to the ones I had...about constantly being afraid, about not knowing if I could trust anyone. Being with Sagar should've taught me that I didn't need to hide, but I was too afraid to even leave my lab back in A.R.C. HQ. Even here, I don't leave the apartment often unless I need to shop."</p><p> </p><p>In way, Ivy could easily compare her situation to Rin's, though it was clear that this wasn't a comparison either was comfortable bringing up. However, it seemed that Rin at least realized this imprisonment was of her own volition, unlike Ivy's.  </p><p> </p><p>"However," Rin continued, "I am a researcher as well. So far, I've only devoted my curiosity towards plants and flowers, but maybe I could be more like you, Vanessa, and what you want Ivy to be. An 'expert on humans', was it?"</p><p> </p><p>"I wouldn't really call myself an expert," Vanessa laughed bashfully as her eyes diverted to the ceiling.</p><p> </p><p>Her eyes seemed to catch something, as a curious expression suddenly came over her. "By the way, I just realized that I haven't seen Bo Bo flying around. Is he taking a nap right now?"</p><p> </p><p>"That is strange..." Rin said, glancing further down the hall. "This usually isn't his nap time."</p><p> </p><p>There was a sudden familiar chime. It seemed that every apartment chose an identical soundfont for their bells.</p><p> </p><p>"Sagar?" Rin inquired, glancing at the bend that led to the front door. "Did he forget something?"</p><p> </p><p>"I'll get it," Vanessa chimed.</p><p> </p><p>For a brief moment, Ivy was relieved to see that the conversation had seemingly returned a bit of energy to the pink-haired girl's movements as she scooted her chair back, springing fully onto her feet in an instant.</p><p> </p><p>Then the girl suddenly went wide-eyed as she stood in place, some horrifying realization crossing her face that Ivy was left in the dark about.</p><p> </p><p>The joints in Vanessa's body seemed to vanish as she crumpled to the floor in a heap.</p><p> </p><p>A painful sound exploded out of Ivy.</p><p> </p><p>"VANESSA!"</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I cannot take credit for the scenario at the end at all. If it wasn't for PlagueAngle's fanfic <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26961985">there for you</a>, I wouldn't have had the idea in the first place.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0021"><h2>21. Chapter 21</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Ivy tries to console Vanessa.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Potential Trigger Warning: Contains references to self-harm</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Vanessa limbs had suffered from a multitude of structural malfunctions.</p><p> </p><p>It could've been a result of some injury, or it could've been as simple as her merely moving a single limb the wrong direction. Mechanical parts occasionally failed to do what they were accustomed to with just the smallest shift.</p><p> </p><p>Centuries ago, the Bunker would've existed to regularly provide maintenance. Now, it seemed the task was up to Ivy, the only one of the three remaining Architects seemingly built to harmonize with technology.</p><p> </p><p>However, as Ivy opened up the hatches on Vanessa's legs one by one, plugging back in the wires that had been jostled loose and reattaching the rods and miniature belts to their intended locations, her mind continued to buzz with one simple question.</p><p> </p><p>Why didn't Vanessa tell anyone about this?</p><p> </p><p>Ivy didn't understand the context at the time, but in retrospect Vanessa's frail movements had exposed everything. The white-haired android cursed herself for obsessing so much over the possible abstract reasons for the pink-haired girl's behavior, never once considering that the answer could've been something much more physical.</p><p> </p><p>Every time Ivy made the mistake of looking back at Vanessa's face, she felt her chest constrict tightly around her violently beating core. It was as though Vanessa was frozen in time, her mouth half open in an unceasing exhale, her eyes only half shut with previously bright red irises that had lost all light.</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa had been like that for half an hour now.</p><p> </p><p>"Come on..." Ivy muttered to herself as she shut yet another panel in Vanessa's leg. "Come on... Please..."</p><p> </p><p>"I just came back because Bo Bo had hitched a ride in my bag," she heard Sagar utter from behind her. "I didn't think I'd come back to...this."</p><p> </p><p>"We appreciate you still being here," Rin said softly. "You've been a great help."</p><p> </p><p>"All I did was hand tools to her," Sagar muttered back self-deprecatingly.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy's vision began to blur slightly as her eyes burned. She could feel her lips quivering as she stifled back a sob. The repairs were close to complete. Why wasn't Vanessa awake yet?</p><p> </p><p>"Please..." Ivy choked. "Vanessa, please wake up..."</p><p> </p><p>The scenario felt familiar, too familiar.</p><p> </p><p>Her hands felt numb yet they continued to go through the motions as she pulled down Vanessa's left sleeve, pulling open a hatch to reassemble what had been broken. At that moment, Ivy felt more like an automaton than ever before.</p><p> </p><p>It was like Ivy was only working on fixing a fallen mannequin, a mere doll representative of the girl she had loved. The face was there, but it didn't matter if the spirit had left...</p><p> </p><p>To think this was what it took for Ivy to understand the concept of the soul.</p><p> </p><p>The exposed joint shifted in Ivy's grip, nearly causing edge to cut into her synthetic skin. She let out an expletive as she reflexively jerked her hand away.</p><p> </p><p>Then it hit her.</p><p> </p><p>The joint had moved on its own.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy's eyes widened, the forming tears allowed to break free as Vanessa stirred.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy watched eagerly as the red in Vanessa's eyes brightened with a flicker like a neon sign turning on. The pink-haired girl shut her eyes tightly with a groan, clearly attempting to process the sudden amount of light she was taking in.</p><p> </p><p>Slowly, Vanessa's eyes opened again, focusing on the teary-eyed Architect kneeling over her. "Ivy... Why are you crying?"</p><p> </p><p>It took all of Ivy's willpower to keep herself from leaping onto the pink-haired girl to hug her tightly with all the strength she had. The rational section of her mind managed to point out how much of a fragile constitution Vanessa was still in.</p><p> </p><p>Suddenly, Vanessa's eyes widened, as though her memories had buffered for a moment before suddenly loading back in. There was a look of abject horror and shame on her face. "Oh no..."</p><p> </p><p>It came out as such a quiet whisper, but Ivy heard those two words clearly. The throbbing in her core only intensified.</p><p> </p><p>Seemingly reflexively, Vanessa attempted to shift her body up only for Ivy to quickly hold her in place with her free hand. "Vanessa, please stay still! The repairs aren't finished yet!"</p><p> </p><p>That look of shame only intensified in response to Ivy's quick outburst, an expression from someone who only believed herself to be nothing more than a burden. "Okay..."</p><p> </p><p>The quiet response sounded less like an affirmation and more like admittance of defeat. Didn't Vanessa want to be repaired? Just moments ago, she had made the promise to stay by Ivy's side until the white-haired android finally understood humanity. How could Vanessa do that if she was in constant agony?</p><p> </p><p>Frustration was beginning to overwrite what should've been overwhelming relief.</p><p> </p><p>"What were you thinking, hiding something like this?" Ivy muttered as she fully reassembled the last of the joints in Vanessa's open arm. "How long have your limbs been malfunctioning for?"</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa squirmed around nervously. "It started to become noticeable...three days ago?"</p><p> </p><p>Ivy felt the urge to scream. It certainly wasn't going to help Vanessa's repairs, though keeping that exclamation forced down was beginning to put a strain on her hands as they attempted to retain their necessary precision.</p><p> </p><p>"I was so close to thinking I had lost you again," Ivy managed to whisper.</p><p> </p><p>"I'm sorry..." Vanessa whimpered.</p><p> </p><p>"I don't want an apology," Ivy snapped, wincing as she heard the pink-haired girl let out a squeak at her sudden harshness. The white-haired android took in a deep breath to steady herself. "I want to know why you'd keep something like this to yourself. Did you think the malfunctions would just magically disappear on their own?"</p><p> </p><p>"No..." Vanessa murmured in an impossibly quiet voice. It was as though every sound in her was retreating back down her throat.</p><p> </p><p>"Then you were just planning to go through this agony for the rest of your life?" Ivy asked. Her throat clenched, causing her voice to crack multiple times.</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa couldn't look Ivy in the eyes anymore. If Ivy wasn't busy repairing her arms at that moment, the pink-haired girl would've probably retreated into them. "And if I was?"</p><p> </p><p>It felt as though a dozen spears had just pierced Ivy's body. Through a miracle, her hands had decided to freeze the moment the last of Vanessa's limb panels had been attended to.</p><p> </p><p>"All done..." Ivy whispered. She shakily turned her head towards their two onlookers. "C-Could we be alone, please?"</p><p> </p><p>Ivy wasn't quite sure that Sagar and Rin knew the true reasons behind her request, but she appreciated them exiting the room nonetheless.</p><p> </p><p>So focused had Ivy been on Vanessa's repairs that she didn't even truly register the room she had barged into and converted into a workstation. Rin's computer equipment lay discarded all over the floor as Ivy turned the researcher's table into a makeshift workbench. It paradoxically felt much more confined now that the two of presences were gone.</p><p> </p><p>Her full attention snapped back to Vanessa, who was slowly lowering herself off the table. Ivy gently took Vanessa's, though that was hardly necessary. The pink-haired girl's eyes widened as her feet touched the floor, likely expecting some painful sensation but receiving none in return.</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa looked back at the Architect who had repaired her wide-eyed, almost reverently. Then Ivy noticed the pink-haired girl's eyes quivering. She let out a hiccup as her lips began to quiver.</p><p> </p><p>An unknown invisible weight seemed to drop onto Vanessa's back, causing her to collapse to her knees. "None of this is right..."</p><p> </p><p>"What not?" Ivy asked, kneeling down. She tried looking Vanessa in the eyes again, but the pink-haired girl was struggling to even look up from the floor. "Vanessa, why would you ever want to be in pain?"</p><p> </p><p>Droplets fell to the floor like the beginning to a shower. Vanessa sniffed loudly. "I deserve it..."</p><p> </p><p>A dozen more spears pierced Ivy. "No! No, Vanessa, why would you ever think that? You've done nothing wrong! You've never done anything wrong!"</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa shook her head fervently. "No! I have! Humanity almost died because of me!"</p><p> </p><p>Ivy wordlessly mouthed out Vanessa's last exclaimed sentence in complete shock.</p><p> </p><p>For so long, Ivy had taken the entirety of the responsibility for what had happened onto her shoulders. It was her lack of foresight and rush for results that had nearly brought about mankind's destruction. And though Vanessa and others had attempted to ease her guilt over her actions, they did not place the blame on anyone else.</p><p> </p><p>That was, until now. And it was the last person she wanted it to happen to.</p><p> </p><p>"Vanessa..." Ivy gasped. "Y-You remembered all of that? When you finally awakened in the Library, it was like you had woken up for the first time since hundreds of years ago..."</p><p> </p><p>Without even thinking, Ivy pulled Vanessa into the tightest embrace she could manage. "I was hoping that you'd never find out what you did while under the protocol's control. You having to endure its voice for nearly an hour was more than you should've had to go through."</p><p> </p><p>"Y-You were trying to take the blame for...for something I did?" Vanessa choked out.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy squeezed her eyes tightly, feeling them burn anew. "It was my fault. You've already heard that dozens of times from me because it's true..."</p><p> </p><p>"It's not!" Vanessa cried. "You weren't the one sh-shooting humans... S-Stomping on them... I-I could feel what it was l-like gra-grabbing one of them, then... then..."</p><p> </p><p>The pink-haired girl buried her face into Ivy's shoulder, letting out a muffled sob. A single tear rolled down Ivy's cheek.</p><p> </p><p>"Were you aware of everything...the entire time?" Ivy whispered.  </p><p> </p><p>She felt Vanessa's head lightly shift side to side. "It... It was like a nightmare at first. I can't even remember the first day it happened."</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa slowly and laboriously raised her tear-stained face back up to Ivy. "I dreamed about seeing you... But it wasn't when I woke up in the Library, and you were kneeling over me. It was...a void, just nothing but white. I was screaming...something that I never wanted to hear myself ever say."</p><p> </p><p>The description was vague, but Ivy unfortunately knew the exact moment Vanessa was talking about, and it was a memory she did not ever want to return to. To describe the sheer pain she felt in her core when Vanessa had seemingly awakened only to declare her hatred of mankind in that slurred and distorted voice would be impossible.</p><p> </p><p>The pink-haired girl breathes were growing shallower. "I tried to put that out of my head when it happened the first time, but then the nightmare came back the next night. It didn't matter how much I tried to distract myself during the day! They wouldn't stop! Every time I rested, they'd come back, over and over!"</p><p> </p><p>Ivy could do nothing but stare with wide unblinking eyes, her body practically becoming petrified as Vanessa continued to pour out more and more. Her assessment of Vanessa had been wrong. The pink-haired girl's entire metaphorical heart had not been worn on her sleeve the entire time. For all Ivy knew, Vanessa's memories might have returned as soon as when she had first visited Ivy in her original holding cell.</p><p> </p><p>And, for months, Vanessa had been enduring them in silence. The thought was enough to cause Ivy's innards to squirm and her throat to burn.</p><p> </p><p>"You were trying so hard to convince me to stop hating humans," Vanessa wept, "but I felt so angry, and I didn't know why... I just kept wanting to destroy everything. Why would I want that?"</p><p> </p><p>"You didn't," Ivy murmured. "You'd never want that..."</p><p> </p><p>She felt Vanessa's grip on her shoulders tighten. "The things I said to you when you tried to stop me... I could hear myself laughing. I-I was so cruel to you..."</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa's face twisted, tears flowing freely down her cheeks, her entire body shaking. Ivy pulled her back into the embrace.</p><p> </p><p>"Why don't you hate me?" </p><p> </p><p>The words that Vanessa whispered into Ivy's ear seemed to cause time to freeze. "What?"</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p><p> </p><p>"<strong>WHY DON'T YOU ALL HATE ME?</strong>"</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa screamed those words so loudly that Ivy swore she could hear the poor girl's vocal cords straining through her neck.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy's body shook, keeping any more tears from falling in some vain attempt to appear strong. All she could do was uselessly stare straight into the dark void that had formed around them as Vanessa wailed into the air uncontrollably.</p><p> </p><p>Two Architects lay in the center of the room unable to see any of it. They were both simply and completely lost with only each other. Ivy didn't feel strong enough to lead.</p><p> </p><p>Perhaps an hour had gone by, possibly even more. Eventually, Vanessa's sobs finally began to quiet. They were still present, but the sheer raw projected pain had seemingly subsided, leaving only a girl who could nothing but whimper.</p><p> </p><p>The storm had thinned enough for Ivy to speak, even though the rain persisted. Though her tears hadn't flowed freely, her throat pained her as though they had. "Vanessa... There is nothing about you I could ever hate."</p><p> </p><p>"I-I t-took so m-much from e-everyone," Vanessa wept. "W-Why is e-everyone being s-so nice to me? W-What did I do t-to deserve any o-of it?"</p><p> </p><p>"That monster I accidentally released took those lives," Ivy growled softly, feeling her insides twist in self-disgust. "You suffered just as much as anyone else. Everyone who saw the real you could see that immediately."</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa clutched Ivy's hood tightly. "Please stop blaming yourself for everything."</p><p> </p><p>"Not if you're going to blame yourself instead," Ivy murmured back.</p><p> </p><p>"I-It just feels like I could've done something..." Vanessa choked.</p><p> </p><p>"And you did in the end," Ivy said soothingly. "Don't you remember what happened after you woke up in the Library? Despite how much pain you were in, you fought against the voices telling you hurt people because you knew it was wrong. And many of those voices didn't want to hurt anyone either. You were the one to free them all, Vanessa."</p><p> </p><p>"Only because you told me I could," Vanessa responded quietly.</p><p> </p><p>"Everyone needs somebody to be by their side," Ivy said. "I learned that the hard way. And it was still your choice to fight back in the end. You... You were honestly amazing. N-No, you always have been."</p><p> </p><p>"Ivy... You're embarrassing me." Ivy felt a light flutter of relief in her chest as Vanessa let out a small shy giggle.</p><p> </p><p>"I think you are at least," Ivy murmured. Her cheeks warmed. "You're the most important person in my life, Vanessa. The last thing I'd want is for you to be in any pain. That's what you don't deserve."</p><p> </p><p>"I guess...we're both just stuck thinking certain things even when everyone keeps telling us it's not true," Vanessa sighed.</p><p> </p><p>"I believe this is the human condition known as 'stubbornness'," Ivy couldn't help but laugh. "We both should try to fix it."</p><p> </p><p>"Yeah..." Vanessa could only respond somberly.</p><p> </p><p>The pink-haired girl's spirits hadn't been restored yet even as her voice seemed to regain some level of stability. There was still a kind of heaviness to the air. Ivy needed to find the metaphorical weights.</p><p> </p><p>"The entire time..." Ivy asked cautiously. "Were these...memories always in the back of your mind whenever we talked to each other?"</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa wiped her eyes messily as she nodded. "I-I didn't want anyone worrying, so I just tried to focus on everything in the present, but...it just kept getting harder to do. I kept trying to think of ways to try to...to fix things. B-But...b-but how could I p-possibly..."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy gently shushed the pink-haired girl, calming her down before she fell into depressive spiral. "You already try to spread positivity to so many people. Don't ever think that you're doing less than that."</p><p> </p><p>"But so many people are still dead or in pain because of what happened..." Vanessa said morosely.</p><p> </p><p>"We can't change what's already happened," Ivy conceded somberly. "All we can do is help everyone in every way that we can."</p><p> </p><p>Her expression turned more determined, something she couldn't help but feel was a modest replica of the one Vanessa had given her several times. "But we can't be of much help if we stop maintaining ourselves. Even if you think you don't deserve it, you have people who love you, Vanessa. You'd only hurt them more if you chose to let your body waste away."</p><p> </p><p>More than ever Ivy wanted to confess to Vanessa right then and there, to cry out just how much she loved her. To Ivy, Vanessa's value was beyond logical compare.</p><p> </p><p>However, this wasn't the right time, not when the pink-haired girl had yet to heal. Though her body was now fully restored, her emotions were frayed. It felt distinctly wrong to even attempt to form a romantic bond in such a moment.</p><p> </p><p>"Let's atone by helping the humans together," Ivy said instead. "There's no one else I'd want to spend an eternity with."</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa's hand gently wrapped around Ivy's. Ivy felt the distinct flutter in her chest as the pink-haired girl brought it up to her cheek. "A promise from me to you..."</p><p> </p><p>An hour after Vanessa had reactivated, she finally smiled. "And a promise from you to me."</p><p> </p><p>It didn't matter that Ivy hadn't confessed. Seeing even an ounce of joy on Vanessa's face was more than enough. "It's a promise then. Let's never leave each other's side ever again."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0022"><h2>22. Chapter 22</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Ivy asks Aroma about song lyrics. A certain guest interrupts.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It had been three days since Ivy and Vanessa's visit to Sagar and Rin's home. Unfortunately, the Architects' departure had been expectedly awkward. There was not much anyone wished to say about what had transpired in Rin's room, even if the conclusion had been positive.</p><p> </p><p>Since then, Ivy had been at her work station, composing her next song. As soon as the air had lightened up, the white-haired android had discovered a particular melody echo through her very mind. It had been faint at first, but when Ivy was laying in bed, unpacking the events that had transpired that evening, that melody's voice only continued to strengthen. The first thing she had done upon waking up the following morning was rush immediately to her keyboard to give that melody a concrete form.</p><p> </p><p>And yet, even in its physical form, the melody had still felt ephemeral in a way, an echo of something far more complete. So with every passing hour, Ivy had returned back to her work station again and again, adding more and more to the bare melody, more backing instruments, slightly hints of distortions, bass drops, a drum beat.</p><p> </p><p>Though each inclusion did slowly solidify the previously spectral melody, there had still been the feeling like there was a fragment missing. For a day and a half, the melody had felt like a loop of simple variations, one that only grew softer then louder in spots but never truly expressed a kind of peak. The emotion that had developed towards this conspicuous metaphorical hole, however, had not been the traditional kind of frustration.</p><p> </p><p>More, it had been almost like a sense of loss, like Ivy had been when she had reactivated in the middle of the forest, with her last memory being the likely destruction of the Architects.</p><p> </p><p>Then she had rediscovered Vanessa, and an entirely new emotion had consumed her, likely even blinded her though she had denied the full extent of it at the time. To be separated by some unknown distance and a series of barriers had been almost unbearable.</p><p> </p><p>That was the moment when Ivy discovered the missing piece.</p><p> </p><p>Music for Ivy especially originated from her memories and the emotions that mixed with it. Her compositions had always been a reflection of her experiences, the kinds that could not truly be conveyed through pure words.</p><p> </p><p>And yet, this particular song required an actual voice to express it and not just a simple hum like with Preface. Ivy hadn't written actual lyrics before.</p><p> </p><p>And it showed. In the present, she had only succeeded in writing down a single row. And that row consisted of only three words.</p><p> </p><p>"Nobody can hear"</p><p> </p><p>Every attempt to go beyond them only resulted in her deleting every successive line after an hour of scrutiny. Every time she mouthed out the words to herself, they failed to synergize with the melody she had already struggled to construct.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy slumped back in her chair after deleting a row for what felt like the hundredth time. Was every composition going to be a struggle from now on? Architects were supposed to be able to retain information, and Ivy was certain she had the memories of singers like Aroma and Cherry to pull from for experience. Even Xenon, despite his lack of singing ability, was talented when it came to writing lyrics. The wells of inspiration were seemingly empty, however. After all, if Ivy were to just imitate their talents, the song would cease to be hers.</p><p> </p><p>That was when it hit her.</p><p> </p><p>Simple observations would never be enough to dissect an artist's thought processes. Even memories could only grant her images and emotions, but the process of constructing something like lyrics required more from the mind than just that.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy needed to do more than observe. Once again, she needed to make the call.</p><p> </p><p>For the first time, she performed the task with little reluctance.</p><p> </p><p>"You want to know how I write my songs?" Aroma asked, actually looking slightly flustered as though she saw her own work as somewhat more average than it actually was. Her hair was still dyed silver, making Ivy wonder if the idol had shifted her focus to humbler performances as of late.</p><p> </p><p>"That's correct," Ivy said with a firm nod. "I've been struggling with my next song because I believe it requires lyrics. Every attempt I've made fails to match with the melody."</p><p> </p><p>The idol scratched her cheek sheepishly. "It's the first time anyone's really asked, so I haven't really given much thought to how I would explain it to someone else."</p><p> </p><p>"Is there a method to writing lyrics?" Ivy asked. "When I have inspiration, I've been able to compose purely instrumental music at a consistent pace, but I'm finding that not to be the case when it comes to having to write down particular words. It's like a different form of expression that's foreign to me."</p><p> </p><p>"Really?" Aroma remarked in surprise. "When I'm thinking about new songs, it's the lyrics that come to me first."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy tilted her head quizzically. "How can there be lyrics with no music?"<br/><br/></p><p>"I guess everyone thinks of something different first when it comes to composing music," Aroma said with a shrug. "For me, the words always came first. My songs were just me trying to find out how to make them sound the best."</p><p> </p><p>"How do the lyrics come to you then?" Ivy further inquired, leaning in closer to the phone as though Aroma were physically in the same room as her. </p><p> </p><p>"They were from...fragments of my memory back when I had amnesia," Aroma said, wincing slightly at the old wound she likely reopened. "They weren't always comforting, but they were familiar enough to give me some kind of stability, like I knew who I was for a brief moment."</p><p> </p><p>"Stability..." Ivy mouthed out to herself. It maybe spoke to her character that her compositions until recently had been anything but that. In contrast, Aroma's songs were marked by a confident flow, something that ironically didn't reflect the shy and uncertain girl she used to be. "So what about your new songs? Now that you've rediscovered yourself, how do you compose your lyrics?"</p><p> </p><p>"It's...kind of similar to how you compose your songs, I think?" Aroma hummed contemplatively. "At least, that's how Vanessa described it during one of our recent phone talks. Singing is how I process events and feelings, and I've had a lot to go off of recently."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy's shoulders sunk even though her chest should've fluttered at Vanessa's mention. "Then we're right back to my issue. I can form instrumental compositions through my experiences, but they don't allow me to form coherent lyrics. So I can't simply draw on my experiences like you can in order to write them."</p><p> </p><p>Aroma groaned, clearly looking guilty at the lack of helpful advice she was providing. "Well... Do you know what you want to express with your new song?"</p><p> </p><p>"It's a bit private," Ivy said, tugging nervously at the lapel of her jacket. "Is it important that you know why?"</p><p> </p><p>"I won't try to press you if it's a personal thing," Aroma said sympathetically, "but do you at least know what it is?"</p><p> </p><p>Ivy nodded stiffly. "It's the reason I need lyrics in the first place, but..."</p><p> </p><p>"They're failing to match the melody," Aroma repeated in Ivy's place. She laughed sheepishly. "To be honest, I think we might have opposite specializations. I can sing and play piano, but every other part of the backing tracks for my songs have always been done by someone else. I only ever really used my keyboard just to give them an idea of what melody to go for...and I didn't always get to have input over that."</p><p> </p><p>Now that Ivy thought back, the memories she had obtained from Aroma always showed her practicing her singing or playing piano. There was not a single vision of a workstation to be found, unlike with musicians like Neko or Xenon.</p><p> </p><p>It seemed as though Ivy had selected the wrong singer for assistance.</p><p> </p><p>However, the other talented singer she had any knowledge of was no longer alive. Even as a number of people told her not to dwell on her guilt, her body still flinched from the particular reminder.</p><p> </p><p>"I'm really sorry I couldn't be of any help to you!" Aroma said suddenly and quickly.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy's cheeks burned lightly as she realized she recoiled in the presence of another person. "No! No, you don't have to be sorry. That wasn't because of what you said. My mind just...went somewhere for a moment."</p><p> </p><p>Another pregnant second passed as the white-haired android wracked her mind for some way to continue the conversation. It was an irrational response to be certain. The chosen path had been the incorrect one objectively, but Ivy felt compelled to derive some kind of meaning from the call.</p><p> </p><p>It wasn't even for Ivy's sake. After Neko had gotten a sense of pride over assisting Ivy's first case of creative block, it felt like Ivy had violated some kind of social contract by not giving the idol a similar catharsis.</p><p> </p><p>"Is the same true for your current songs?" Ivy asked finally.</p><p> </p><p>Aroma shrugged awkwardly in response. "I have begun experimenting with my keyboard more recently, but I still don't think I'm quite capable of making anything elaborate, at least, not like Neko can."</p><p> </p><p>"I did see several ads of your collaboration with her," Ivy said. "Beyond...romantic interests, is that the reason you two now work so closely together?"</p><p> </p><p>Aroma shook her head, though she had a small smile on her face. "I am content with scaling back my production values. I did start out just singing and playing piano while Hayato played the drums back when I lived in Node 03, after all. Me and Neko collaborated because we want to. We actually made a promise right before setting out with you to rescue Vanessa to work on at least one new song together...and we kind of just kept doing that afterwards."</p><p> </p><p>"Nonetheless," Ivy pressed, "you did compose melodies to accompany your songs, correct?"</p><p> </p><p>"I guess I did?" Aroma said hesitantly. "Singing can only convey so much. I never thought of anything elaborate, but a song does require a little something else to direct the mood I was going for. I've actually heard a few remixes of some of my own songs recently that somehow managed to completely change the tone I was going for without altering the lyrics at all but just the instrumentals and musical scale."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy lightly stroked her chin in contemplation. "The instruments are used to convey the mood...and the lyrics are meant to convey the meaning. So there has to be a message."</p><p> </p><p>"That's admittedly what words are supposed to be for in general," Aroma remarked awkwardly.</p><p> </p><p>The moment of mutual contemplation was suddenly interrupted by a series of hurried footsteps in the background. A blur just as suddenly rocketed by the screen before materializing by the startled idol's side.</p><p> </p><p>"N-Neko?" Aroma uttered in surprise. "Y-You're done with recording already?"</p><p> </p><p>"Forget the recording!" Neko exclaimed frantically. "Take a look at this!"</p><p> </p><p>The cat-themed streamer all but shoved her phone right in front of the idol. The rare look of annoyance on Aroma's face vanished in an instant, replaced by wide-eyed shock as she looked at whatever was on Neko's screen.</p><p> </p><p>Then Ivy heard it.</p><p> </p><p>"Hello," Cherry greeted somewhat shyly from out of view. The fact that the sound had to pass through two speakers did little to dilute the distinctness of the voice.</p><p> </p><p>"Sherry..." Aroma gasped. "B-But how?"</p><p> </p><p>"That's a really long and complicated story," Cherry said awkwardly. "I didn't actually expect Neko to suddenly rush outside to, uh, show me off. You're PAFF, right?"</p><p> </p><p>"Yes?" Aroma responded in mild confusion and concern. "I think we met in person at Æsir-FEST? Did you never get your memories back about what happened?"</p><p> </p><p>Ivy flinched when she saw Neko's eyes glance up from her phone to Aroma's. "Oh, I didn't know you were talking with Aroma-chan, Ivy! Hold on Ivy, there's someone I need you to see!"</p><p> </p><p>Before Ivy could say a word, Neko had flipped her phone around, showing the screen off to Ivy through Aroma's own phone screen. To say the concept itself was disorienting was a bit of an understatement.</p><p> </p><p>Cherry was on the screen, looking just as confused by the events that had just occurred as well as somewhat dizzy. It was strange to consider the possibility of a data construct actually getting dazed from being flipped and turned around one time too many.</p><p> </p><p>When the data replica finally got her bearings, she seemed rather embarrassed to be meeting Ivy face-to-face. "Oh, uh, hey there... You're here too?"</p><p> </p><p>Neko peered down at her phone with burning curiosity. "Huh? You're talking like you two talked with each other before."</p><p> </p><p>Cherry chuckled nervously. "Yeah, we sorta did."</p><p> </p><p>The streamer's look of curiosity morphed into a scowl. "Is that right? And why was Neko not told about any of this, hm?"</p><p> </p><p>That unpleasantly familiar sinking feeling in Ivy's core returned. "I-It's because... The thing is... My encounter with Cherry was..."</p><p> </p><p>"What I am is kind of complicated," Cherry said somberly.</p><p> </p><p>"What are you talking about?" Neko asked irritably over the soft voices of concern from Aroma. "You're Sis Cherry, and you're totally alive! What's so hard to get about that?"</p><p> </p><p>Cherry sighed, lightly slapping her palm against her face. "The fact that I seriously asked you if I was actually your sister should've been the tip-off."</p><p> </p><p>"That just means you have weird memory problems," Neko said bluntly. "After, well, everything, Neko doesn't expect you to be...completely together. But that's no problem! We can help you like we helped Aroma-chan!"</p><p> </p><p>"Getting my memories back is not the problem!" Cherry snapped with uncharacteristic fierceness, all but snapping the streamer out of her developing, confidence-fueled tantrum. The red-haired young woman took a deep breath, the harshness on her face quite literally fading back to its original awkwardness. "Sorry I yelled like that. It's just that I don't think I can be this 'Sis Cherry' you want to see so badly, even if I get all of my memories back."</p><p> </p><p>The lights in Neko's eyes seemed to dim. "But why...?"</p><p> </p><p>"Believe me," Cherry sighed, "I wanted to know everything about myself the moment I came back. Being an entity in the virtual internet, that wasn't a problem. But the more I found out about myself, the less I felt like I was her. We both looked the same, but it was like staring at a stranger the entire time. Believe me when I say I tried to practice being her, to pick up where she left off, but I never felt right. I knew I was just pretending."</p><p> </p><p>She bowed her head, her swept bangs slightly obscuring her clenched eyes. "I'm so sorry I couldn't be her for all of you. She sounded like the greatest person in the world to so many people. I shouldn't have made contact with you if I knew I was only going to hurt everyone. I just couldn't control my curiosity. I wanted to meet everyone who meant something to her, to understand why."</p><p> </p><p>It was now time for Ivy to explain. She followed the replica's example, bowing her head as well. "I'm sorry I never informed either of you of my first meeting with Sherry, but I didn't want you to experience the distress of knowing that this was not the Sherry you all remembered."</p><p> </p><p>She bit her lip. "Xenon wasn't happy to find that out."</p><p> </p><p>Her breath hitched, knowing she had just breached the trust with a man who already trusted her so little. "Please don't let him know I told you that."</p><p> </p><p>Neko's face fell further. "Xenon also knew about this? And he didn't tell me?"</p><p> </p><p>It was as though a switch had been abruptly flicked on in the back of Ivy's head. Without prompting, she came clean about everything, about the various other data "phantoms" floating around in the domain, about Cherry's state when she and Xenon first found her, about how Cherry acted upon being returned to full consciousness, about Vanessa's own secret trip into the virtual internet to meet with Cherry first, and about Ivy's own encounter with Cherry on her phone days earlier.</p><p> </p><p>The force that had compelled her to confess everything had seemingly blinded Ivy to her immediate surroundings, because the people in front of her only materialized back into focus the moment the confession had ended.</p><p> </p><p>It may have been more merciful if Neko and Aroma looked at Ivy with abject disappointment or even outrage instead of the uneasy, almost neutral expressions on their faces. It was as though they were so consumed by so many conflicting emotions that they ended up swirling into an unidentifiable mass. Cherry herself looked rather uneasy at what Ivy had just exposed.</p><p> </p><p>Aroma was the one to finally speak. There was no anger or even disappointment in her voice, merely curiosity. "So what would, um, if she isn't the same as the Sherry we know, what would this Sherry consider herself?"</p><p> </p><p>Cherry gave an awkward cough before another stretch of silence could occur. "Xenon, or Simon, or whatever he calls himself, said I was made from a fragment of the original Sherry, I think? I guess if I were to come up with a comparison, it'd be like a..."</p><p> </p><p>The data replica's cheeks suddenly became rosy. "I came from her, so would that make me...her daughter?"</p><p> </p><p>Aroma became equally as red. Ivy as well could feel her entire face heat up dramatically.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0023"><h2>23. Chapter 23</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Things get existential with Cherry.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"M-Maybe we shouldn't go that far," Aroma stammered nervously.</p><p> </p><p>"H-Hey," Cherry stammered back, "it's n-not like I don't know how awkward this is either! But what the heck do you even call something like me then?"</p><p> </p><p>"If you were created directly from a fragment of the original Sherry," Ivy said, struggling to keep her voice controlled, "wouldn't that make you a clone?"</p><p> </p><p>After all, Ivy had already labeled the Cherry in front of her as a "replica" several times. It took until now for Ivy to realize that he had no way of distinguishing this Cherry from her deceased flesh-and-blood counterpart despite it now being clear that the two individuals were different in several small but still distinguishable ways.</p><p> </p><p>But that seemed to have been the wrong term to apply considering the dirty look Cherry gave her. "Okay, now that's definitely something you can't call me."</p><p> </p><p>The sudden shift in Cherry's mood was enough to cause Ivy to flinch, as though the red-haired young woman had just thrown a punch her way.</p><p> </p><p>"We understand," Aroma said with a respectful bow of the head. "You want to decide who you want to be, right?"  </p><p> </p><p>Cherry looked legitimately stunned at Aroma's observation. "Uh... Yeah, exactly like that. You look like you actually...know what I'm talking about, like actually relate to it. But at least from what I looked up about you, you didn't come from here... Or is there something I don't know?"</p><p> </p><p>"It's definitely not something you can read about," Aroma sighed. "It's a really long story, but I do know unfortunately know what it's like to be treated like you're supposed to be someone else."</p><p> </p><p>However, despite the clear sincere attempt at empathy, Cherry only squirmed at the Aroma's vague recollection. "Ugh, that...does not feel good to relive."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy was suddenly brought back to Cherry's vague allusion to the red state the virtual internet was in when the protocol had taken over, something that she had conspicuously refused to elaborate upon.</p><p> </p><p>Before Ivy could bring up a question, Cherry was temporarily pulled away from Ivy's view as Aroma looked at the screen more closely, offering the red-haired girl her full look of concern. "Is it something you can share with us? It looks like it's really bothering you."</p><p> </p><p>From where the phone was angled, Ivy couldn't tell what Cherry's reaction specifically was. It would've been far more courteous for the white-haired android to simply accept that Cherry likely would prefer to keep an unpleasant event to herself, but she couldn't help but anxiously hope that data-composed girl would respond, to address Ivy's selfish curiosity.</p><p> </p><p>It took several long seconds for the young woman composed of data to finally sigh. "It was a confusing blur...what came at me, I mean. I couldn't exactly be lost in my surroundings for too long because I turned around only for...something to rush at me. I don't know what it did to me, but afterwards, I wasn't in control of myself. I just blinked, and suddenly I could hear myself talking to someone even though...I wasn't doing it. Does that make any sense?"</p><p> </p><p>Ivy's eyes widened as she leaned closer to the screen. "Do you mean to say you were possessed?"</p><p> </p><p>"I guess that'd be the better word," she heard Cherry say, "but it didn't even feel like my body was being piloted. I...don't think I even had anything to call a body when that was happening, or at least that's what it felt like thinking back. Everything was just kind of like mush, and there were all these other voices around me. They weren't whispering at me though. I couldn't understand what they were saying, but it...felt like they were just as confused as I was. All I knew was that I wanted to somehow break out of wherever I was stuck in."</p><p> </p><p>Cherry's voice hitched for a moment. Ivy could hear her trying to steady her breathing. Aroma was looking pale, clearly seeing the red-haired young woman making some kind of disquieting expression. "Something seemed to just worm inside of...whatever I was made of at that time. I don't know why, but suddenly I started feeling incredibly angry, like whatever my voice was talking to was something I wanted to...to kill very badly..."</p><p> </p><p>"The feeling of pure hatred," Aroma whispered breathlessly. Ivy understood that look, for she shared it as well.</p><p> </p><p>"Took the words right out of my mouth once again," Cherry sighed. "Afterwards, all I remember was hearing some kind of sound. It was like a gunshot or something. Then everything just went blank for a while..."</p><p> </p><p>It was a retelling of Xenon's encounter with and destruction of Cherry's doppelganger in virtual space during Vanessa's rescue, but from the doppelganger's perspective. Ivy couldn't believe she had forgotten the exact moment from the past when Xenon had called her about Cherry's seeming reemergence. Both of them had believed at the time that the young administrator had indeed personally destroyed what little remained of the woman he loved. It was not only loss that had guided Xenon to attempt to save Cherry but perhaps guilt as well.</p><p> </p><p>Maybe it was guilt that caused Ivy to forget what she had told Xenon after the doppelganger's seeming destruction.</p><p> </p><p>She had coldly dismissed the Cherry that Xenon encountered as nothing more than a husk piloted around by the malicious entity that had taken control of Vanessa, telling him outright that any remnant of Cherry's consciousness had been consumed. To simply tell a human to get over being the one to seemingly pull the trigger on their loved one, even if it was an act of mercy, was incredibly cruel in retrospect.</p><p> </p><p>However, that now paled in comparison to the cruelty she now knew the protocol was capable of. To not simply delete a human consciousness but rather imprison it and attempt to override its emotions with its captor's raw hatred was no different than how it treated Vanessa, its very own vessel. Human or machine, it made no difference. Individuals only existed to be played with and broken apart like toys.</p><p> </p><p>"Just what the hell was that thing?" Ivy whispered to herself before piping up. "That does explain certain aspects of the state we found you in. To be honest, the fact that there was enough of you left to reform into an actual comprehensible consciousness is absolutely astounding."</p><p> </p><p>"I guess you could call me a miracle," Cherry said. Aroma turned the phone back to the screen, allowing Ivy to see the wry smirk on the red-haired woman's face. "Pretty self-aggrandizing but definitely better than just being called a clone."</p><p> </p><p>"We'll work on it," Ivy deadpanned.</p><p> </p><p>"What do you think Nek--" Aroma started before her eyes suddenly widened at what appeared to be a painful revelation.</p><p> </p><p>It suddenly occurred to Ivy that Aroma hadn't been holding up the phone when the conversation with Cherry had started. There was someone else in the room whose opinion Ivy had yet to receive, someone who had been uncharacteristically quiet throughout Cherry's lengthy recollection and now no longer even looking at the camera. With how small her profile was, practically everything except a bit of her back and head was completely out of the frame.</p><p> </p><p>The android had been so focused on the faces, that she had completely forgotten the fact that a phone had been held in front of the camera the entire time, and in order for that to occur, someone would have to be holding it in place. And that someone in this case was Neko, the girl that had somehow morphed into nothing more than a glorified camera stand over the course of the conversation before the duty had been silently handed over to Aroma, all without any fanfare.</p><p> </p><p>That felt like a huge violation in the social order.</p><p> </p><p>"Neko," Aroma said quietly as she gently put a hand on the streamer's shoulder, "I'm sorry. We shouldn't have left you out like that."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy felt anxiety build in her core as Neko's body seemed to shiver then stiffen at the gesture, like she was in the process of being frozen solid. The way the young streamer turned around was also reminiscent of a block of ice.</p><p> </p><p>Neko bit her lip. "So... Do you still want to be called Sis Cherry?"</p><p> </p><p>There was another brief stretch of silence. Though Neko's phone screen was turned away from Ivy yet again, the android suspected the red-haired young woman was blinking conspicuously. "Uh... Sure. If that's what you're comfortable with."</p><p> </p><p>"It's not about what Neko wants," Neko said, shaking her head. "What do you want to be called? If you don't have the same name, that means you get to be another person. That's what you want, right?"</p><p> </p><p>The music producer managed a small smile. Ivy could only stare at the smaller girl, speculating if this one question had been on her mind during the entire conversation. Even after sifting through Neko's memories, Ivy still found herself caught off guard by the streamer.</p><p> </p><p>"Oh..." Cherry said, her voice trailing off in a somewhat contemplative fashion. "Wow, I'm honored. What would be a good name for me though?"</p><p> </p><p>Even from Ivy's end, the red-haired young woman's groan of concentration was more than audible.</p><p> </p><p>"Damn it," Cherry grumbled. "I just don't think I'm a girl that's good at coming up with names."</p><p> </p><p>Last Ivy recalled from Cherry's memories, the name of her and Xenon's old band Crystal PuNK, particularly the styling of the letters, was something Cherry was involved with. In broad strokes, perhaps the data version was the same as the flesh-and-blood, but when it came to the details, evidence was continuing to mount that this Cherry was a different individual.</p><p> </p><p>"Leave it to Neko then," Neko sighed. "She's always been the best at giving girls cute nicknames."</p><p> </p><p>She tapped her chin with a contemplative hum. "How about...'Rei-chan'?"</p><p> </p><p>"Rei-chan?" Cherry parroted, chuckling in slight confusion.</p><p> </p><p>"You know," Neko babbled awkwardly, "'cause both 'Cherry' and 'Sherry' end with the same sound, and that sound is kinda close to an actual name. It totally works, right?"</p><p> </p><p>Ivy could only guess the look on the newly-christened Rei's face, though at the very least, the tone of her voice didn't sound particularly offended by her new moniker though likely still a bit caught off guard by the sudden addition to her identity. "A new name's definitely going to take some getting used to, but it does sound kind of...cute."</p><p> </p><p>"Oh that's a huge relief for Neko!" Neko's hum turned joyous, though Ivy noted that she wasn't exactly beaming with pride like she was when she believed she had given Ivy proper guidance on overcoming her creative block.</p><p> </p><p>Rei let out sheepish chuckle. "I guess it doesn't really matter what I am now. A name's already enough to make me a different person. You've got a real knack for this, Neko."</p><p> </p><p>It was Neko's turn to laugh awkwardly. "Aw, don't be like that. You're still just a few months old! Give it a year, and you'll have it down in no time!"</p><p> </p><p>Rei stifled a giggle. "I'll keep you posted. I should...probably get going now. I've got all the time in the world, but you've all got actual things you need to do with your lives, not to mention the fact that I was interrupting whatever conversation Ivy and Aroma were having. I'll just let you get back to everything."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy didn't even get to see Rei exit this time, for Neko's phone was turned away from her the entire time. That fact shouldn't have bothered her as much as it did.</p><p> </p><p>There wasn't an immediate snapback to her previously interrupted conversation with Aroma. How could there be after more pressing matters had occurred in-between that time? There was too much to ruminate over.</p><p> </p><p>Neko still had the satisfied smile on her face as she saw Rei off, but the streamer was also completely silent the entire time. Even now, she was acting out of character. Ivy glanced over to Aroma, who was looking at her girlfriend with a similar level of concern.</p><p> </p><p>"Neko... Are you feeling okay?" Aroma asked. "I know that was a lot to take in."</p><p> </p><p>"Whaa?" Neko scoffed. "Of course Neko's fine! So what if it wasn't actually Cherry? Meeting a digital girl is even better in some ways..."</p><p> </p><p>"Neko..." Aroma said somewhat pointedly, more like a parent scolding their child than a girlfriend chiding her partner.</p><p> </p><p>It took until that moment for Ivy to actually more closely inspect Neko's face. The android only just realized how strained her smile had been the entire time.</p><p> </p><p>Neko finally allowed her false smile to fade. The way the light faded from her eyes was not unlike watching a fire suddenly go out.</p><p> </p><p>"Cherry's gone..." Neko murmured in a tone completely devoid of her spark.</p><p> </p><p>From the way Aroma look immediately shifted to concern, it seemed that Neko's current state was something the idol had a worryingly passing familiarity with. Dread gradually crept back into Ivy's core.</p><p> </p><p>The manner in which Neko fell into Aroma's arms was like a tree that had been cut down. It wasn't until Aroma wrapped her girlfriend in a tight embrace that Neko's body was finally wracked by sobs.</p><p> </p><p>"I miss her!" Neko cried. "I miss her so much!"</p><p> </p><p>"There's nothing wrong with what you're feeling," Aroma whispered, gently brushing Neko's hair. "I-I miss her too..."</p><p> </p><p>"I-I thought I-I w-was ready to m-move on!" Neko sobbed. "I-I don't want to h-hate Rei-chan, b-but why d-does she have to l-look and s-sound so much like her? I-It's not her f-fault, b-but when s-she showed up on m-my screen, I thought I-I was finally g-going to s-see her again!"</p><p> </p><p>"I think everyone here wished that was true," Aroma said quietly, her voice cracking, "and I think...that's why Simon didn't say anything. It's only been a few months. We still need time to...figure out how to feel."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy's teeth clenched. Her vision quivered as tears rolled down her cheeks. Was this truly the only lesson to be learned? That hope was pointless and only served to hurt anyone who had it?</p><p> </p><p>Suddenly, she could see herself standing over Vanessa's convulsing body in the Library, forced to endure her spouting nothing but the protocol's virulent rhetoric. Ivy cried out again and again for Vanessa, only to be met with eyes that saw nothing in front of them.</p><p> </p><p>No. That memory had a happy ending, but it felt like it was only for Ivy. Her friends only knew stability at best from their experiences, and even that had been taken away from them.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy couldn't allow it.</p><p> </p><p>"She's not gone."</p><p> </p><p>The two human girls turned back towards their guest, who was gazing back at them resolutely through the phone screen.</p><p> </p><p>"B-But you said..." Neko began to whimper.</p><p> </p><p>"I'm willing to contradict some of my earlier statements," Ivy said sharply. "Rei still came from a fragment of Sherry, and I shouldn't have discounted that when I explained everything."</p><p> </p><p>"So what does it mean then?" Aroma asked, looking somewhat defeated as well. "What is Rei to Cherry?"</p><p> </p><p>"Her successor." Honestly, Ivy had no conscious clue how to exactly follow up her earlier proclamation. Despite this, the bizarre influx in her resolve caused one to instantly manifest.</p><p> </p><p>Neko wiped her eyes. "What?"</p><p> </p><p>Ivy turned her focus to Aroma. "Just like you have a part of the original Aroma White in you and share her face, so does Rei with Sherry. Neither of you are exactly like the people you were based on, nor did you both ask to be made that way, especially you Aroma. But despite being different people, neither of you rejected the people who only knew your other. In fact, you looked for them."</p><p> </p><p>Recollections of Aroma and Neko journeying through the Nodes to find the original Aroma's Academy friends and classmates came to mind. They weren't exactly full memories but rather based on monitoring security footage, so Ivy couldn't understand the full context behind those actions. Or rather, she didn't until now.  </p><p> </p><p>They were an aspect of familiarity in Aroma's life, people who provided her with a basis of being in a world she was struggling to recall. Regardless of how they personally saw her, they still could elicit the emotions necessary to grant Aroma her identity.</p><p> </p><p>"It's the same with Rei," Ivy realized out loud. "Even after she realized she couldn't be the same person as Sherry, she still wants to form bonds with the people the original knew. There's something that still links her to us, and that something is what Sherry left behind."</p><p> </p><p>Architects didn't need to breathe, but Ivy felt her breath grow haggard in that moment. Somehow, coming to this realization somehow drained her core. Dread began to creep in. Her presentation had been scattered, a complete stream of consciousness. Was it even comprehensible?</p><p> </p><p>Relief washed over her when she saw a bit of light flicker back in Neko's eyes. "You really are a super robot, you know that Ivy?"</p><p> </p><p>"Was I...helpful?" Ivy asked hesitantly.</p><p> </p><p>Neko nodded her head, her fanged grin returning to her face. "It's way too complicated for Neko to really explain, but Neko now knows Sis Cherry will always be with us no matter what."</p><p> </p><p>That moment might've been the broadest Ivy has ever allowed herself to smile.</p><p> </p><p>"Neko's got some ideas she wants to try out," Neko said cheekily. "We'll see you around."</p><p> </p><p>As soon as the call ended, Ivy fell back into her couch. The conversation had gone on long enough to almost completely sap her phone's power. It would have to be recharged soon. She was in need of it as well at that moment.</p><p>   </p><p>Ivy's eyes drifted to the ceiling as she realized that the conversation was never able to pivot back to the matter of song lyrics.</p><p> </p><p>She realized that, inexplicably, she knew what the melody now was trying to tell her. Where there was once just a mood, there was now a message.</p><p> </p><p>The question now was if Ivy was a good enough singer.</p>
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<a name="section0024"><h2>24. Chapter 24</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Ivy needs a singer.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ivy could officially declare that she was not a singer. It shouldn't have been difficult on paper. After all, it was nothing more than manipulating ones voice to form harmonies, a skill about as technical as manipulating the general sound waves to form her melodies. However, no matter how many alterations she made to her pitch and timbre, said harmonies refused to form. Her voice should've just been another sound, but it refused to bow to her designs.</p><p> </p><p>Despite the emotion that lay in the core of the song, her singing remained flat and lifeless. She knew just what kind of tone was had to portray, but replication had proven to be impossible. This was not a matter of her metaphorical heart not being in the composition, so why did her voice sound so flat and passionless?</p><p> </p><p>It occurred to her that this was the first time she actually heard her own voice being played back to her. Was this how she sounded to everyone else? Was her mind truly so biased as to filter out such a major flaw?</p><p> </p><p>She allowed herself to fall back into the couch, unable to do anything but stare at the lyrics she had recorded on her phone's notepad. She had never written a song with lyrics before. Only now did she realize that there was more to vocal music than just the meaning behind the words selected. Without the right person, they wouldn't mean anything.</p><p> </p><p>And Ivy wasn't the right person.</p><p> </p><p>So who was?</p><p> </p><p>Aroma was right there in her contacts list. Cherry as well had previously had been quite a talented singer herself, though Ivy was unsure if that was hardcoded enough into her for any of that to transfer into Rei...</p><p> </p><p>Ivy shook her head, dismissing both options, not just because of the dramatic events that had occurred two days ago but also because of a thought that was far more inexplicable. She had numerous memories and albums to gain a firm understanding of the voices they both projected. It wasn't as though their voices were doomed to be permanently chained to specific tones and genres. They certainly could leave whatever comfort zones they had with enough preparation. Aroma's most recent single "Who Am I?" was already evidence enough that the idol was capable of singing more melancholic songs, and Cherry's old song "Still" conveyed a similar tone.  </p><p> </p><p>While undeniably beautiful, Ivy had somehow deemed both an ill fit for the song she had in mind.</p><p> </p><p>Regardless of the songs they sung, they each had a distinct voice, one that Ivy wasn't looking for at that moment. Of course, she had no idea what specific voice was the correct fit, the concept still a nebulous cloud.</p><p> </p><p>If there was a single silver lining, it was that Ivy literally had all the time in the world to ponder this mysterious voice.</p><p> </p><p>The answer came to her five minutes later. However, rather than victory or even relief, Ivy only felt dread.</p><p> </p><p>The subject matter of the song could likely open up painful memories, ones that Ivy was sure would take more than a few weeks to heal, let alone just a few days. The tone wasn't exactly optimistic like Preface. After all, it was based on the emotions they unknowingly shared, those of guilt and separation, feelings of failure.</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa deserved a song that was happier.</p><p> </p><p>There was no justification Ivy could formulate that did not cause her throat to tighten. Nausea was not a sensation Ivy was comfortable developing.</p><p> </p><p>Worse still was that the choice was so agonizing to make in the first place. Sure, Ivy had attracted an audience with her previous song, but there was nothing wrong with simply vanishing. For Ivy, there wasn't much value in being the center of attention.</p><p> </p><p>So why did she feel compelled to continue the project? What sort of virus possessed her to want to share what she had created with the person who might be least receptive to it?</p><p> </p><p>Ivy wasn't just staring at the lyrics written on her screen anymore. Once again, she was contemplating the contacts list that was just two taps away.</p><p> </p><p>It would only be the instrumentals, a tiny voice in her mind told her. Once Vanessa understood the mood, Ivy could determine from her reaction if she should approach her with the second question. Not to mention, they did promise to stop keeping secrets from each other...</p><p> </p><p>Ivy's thumb moved quickly, a means of outpacing whatever command was surging through her circuitry that would've made her reconsider. By the time the command reached its destination, her screen informed her that her phone was in the process of connecting to Vanessa's. It would've been far too impolite and perhaps a tad worrisome for Ivy to hang up now.</p><p> </p><p>She felt the need to take in a deep breath to calm her system. The results of the exercise were...negligible. Perhaps actual lungs were necessary for there to be a tangible effect.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy was stuck between the conflicting emotions of heart-skipping joy and anxious dread as soon as she saw Vanessa's face appear on screen. The pink-haired girl looked somewhat surprised, but unlike during that trip to Sagar and Rin's apartment, Ivy could tell that the smile she gave wasn't forced in any way. The last thing the white-haired android wanted to do was to take that away from her.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy's lips quivered, the words coming out of them in sporadic spurts. "I-I...I'm w-working on a-a new...song. Would... Would you l-like to hear...it?"</p><p> </p><p>Ivy felt the knot in her chest only tighten further as Vanessa's smile brightened further. "Oh, you are? That's great! I'd love to hear it."</p><p> </p><p>The white-haired android didn't even think what she babbled as she sent the incomplete song to Vanessa was anything resembling a coherent sentence.</p><p> </p><p>"Thank you!" Vanessa chimed. "I'll be sure to call you back as soon as I'm done listening to it."</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa proceeded to call back not even a minute after the song's duration had concluded. Seeing the pink-haired girl's smile no longer there caused Ivy's breath to hitch. "Ivy... I don't know what to say."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy squirmed in place. "Are you...upset by it?"</p><p> </p><p>She breathed a sigh of relief when the smile returned, however small it was, even if it suggested that Vanessa thought Ivy had just told a joke. "Why would I be upset by music, let alone something you made? It's wonderful like the last one."</p><p> </p><p>Despite the kind words however, Ivy couldn't let the relief take hold in full. "Then why did you say you couldn't think of any words?"</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa scratched her cheek. "It's that I'm not entirely sure what the tone is. At some points, it sounds kind of sad, maybe crushing even, but then it shifts into something a bit happier, like journeying out of bad memories to the present, something similar to your previous song. But I'm not sure if that was the tone you wanted me to hear."</p><p> </p><p>She chuckled sheepishly. "To be honest, I was kind of afraid of how you would react if I got the interpretation wrong."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy's rigid body finally relaxed. "Vanessa, you know I could never be mad at you."</p><p> </p><p>"So what's it about?" Vanessa inquired, bouncing slightly in what appeared to be her bed like a curious child. "Did I interpret it correctly?"</p><p> </p><p>Ivy bit her lip. There were no more secrets between them, she reminded herself once again. "It isn't exactly a happy song. You got that part right. But it...isn't supposed to have a happy ending either, not like what you might be thinking of."</p><p> </p><p>She winced as she watched Vanessa's smile fall. "There is intended to be a kind of resolution, but it's more like...a kind of acceptance of loss even if the pain remains. You can't change what's happened in the past...or bring back the people you've lost."</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa's eyes drifted to the side. "I see... Now that you say that, I can sort of hear it too. Did you want my input for how you could make that message clearer?"</p><p> </p><p>"It's not that..." Ivy said uneasily. "What you listened to are the completed instrumentals, but I need...someone to sing the lyrics."</p><p> </p><p>A tinge of pink brushed Vanessa's cheeks. "Oh. Um, I-I don't want to sound conceited, but was the singer you were looking for--"</p><p> </p><p>"Yes."</p><p> </p><p> Vanessa laughed nervously. "W-Well, I'm honored, but Ivy, I've never sung anything before..."</p><p> </p><p>"I want you to know the lyrics first before you decide," Ivy, strained words coming out somewhat quickly.</p><p> </p><p>"O-Okay." Vanessa seemed to have an inkling of what the lyrics would be considering the rather uncertain way in which she nodded her head.</p><p> </p><p>Architects didn't produce anything that even resembled mucus or phlegm, yet Ivy still felt compelled to clear her throat. "Nobody can hear. I'm barely breathing. I've lost dreams, and I'm no longer in my story..."</p><p> </p><p>"I'm sorry," Vanessa interrupted, "but could possibly...sing the lyrics? I think they would make more sense like that."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy felt her face heat up. "I-I tried singing them, but I don't think they would sound particularly good coming from me."   </p><p> </p><p>"Lyrics just don't sound right when they're just spoken," Vanessa said with a rather juvenile pout. "Come on Ivy, please? Could you at least try for me?"</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa definitely had been hanging around Neko far too much. Even worse was that her childish manner of begging was incredibly effective.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy took a deep breath as Vanessa leaned in close to the screen, and eager smile spread across her face. It was enough of a comforting sight for Ivy to make it through the first few stanzas, though that unease in her own performance began to creep in as she continued. Even from her own biased perspective, she noticed every instance where her voice cracked, every moment her voice failed to match the melody playing in her head, every note her voice seemed physically incapable of hitting. Slowly but surely, she found her eyes shutting ever tighter, unwilling to focus on the pink-haired girl's face.</p><p> </p><p>By the time she was finished, the white-haired android felt like she felt out of breath, her chest nearly heaving despite her lack of lungs. Her core was pulsing rapidly as she hesitantly opened her eyes, dreading the judgment that was upon her, not just for her lack of singing ability but for the contents of the song itself.</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa had a hand over her mouth. Her eyes were wide. Tears weren't coming out, but they were shimmering. "Ivy... I had no idea."</p><p> </p><p>"I'm sorry," Ivy said. She couldn't stop her hand from shaking. Her body felt remarkably weak at that moment. "I shouldn't have even made the song in the first place, let alone ask you. I'll just delete it and wait for--"</p><p> </p><p>"No!"</p><p> </p><p>It wasn't the loudest Vanessa had ever screamed, but the suddenness of the exclamation nearly caused Ivy to drop the phone. "V-Vanessa? You're not upset about the subject of the song, even after everything that happened a week ago?"</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa shook her head. "I'd be running away again if I just let you delete the song, especially after everything I know you've poured into it."</p><p> </p><p>"It isn't about what I want!" Ivy argued. "You... You shouldn't have to face those painful memories again. They nearly... You almost destroyed yourself the last time it happened."</p><p> </p><p>"You should know that those kinds of memories don't just disappear," Vanessa said quietly with a sad smile. "I...I'll confess that I still get nightmares sometimes, but between all of them, I still remember you. And when I had finally confessed everything to you; that might've added the strongest memory of all. Hearing the song now has only made that memory stronger."</p><p> </p><p>Memories had previously been Ivy's specialty for better or worse. And yet, despite utilizing them to revise the Cytus system, she now realized she didn't understand memories at all. Vanessa had been awakened for a relatively shorter period of time, but here she was being the teacher.</p><p> </p><p>"How so?" Ivy inquired, very much like a student.</p><p> </p><p>"Emotions are a bit complicated to actually explain," Vanessa sighed. "All I do know is that, when I combined the lyrics as you sang them and the melody in my head, I feel like I understand what you must've been going through when I temporarily shut down...because of the harm I put on myself."</p><p> </p><p>She let out a rather dry laugh. "I can understand why you didn't want to share this with me, but I know that this song wasn't created to harm me. You just wanted to find a way to understand what you felt, and maybe also how I felt."</p><p> </p><p>"The melody occurred to me shortly after we left," Ivy admitted. The words came quickly, but this time, they weren't tumbling out of her mouth on their own. The answer had simply been there the entire time. "I can't exactly describe the emotions I put into my music either, but the closest I can come to describing it would be like...something that hung over the air when the two of us were talking to each other. Beyond just being close, it felt like our emotions had merged in a way, if that somehow makes any sense."</p><p> </p><p>To her surprise, Vanessa immediately nodded. "I understand completely now. That's why you wanted me to sing."  </p><p> </p><p>Her smile was almost blindingly bright. "I'm so happy we have something like this to share."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy unconsciously coughed again, feeling the distinct heat tingeing her cheeks. "So, does that mean you want to lend your voice?"</p><p> </p><p>"More than anything," Vanessa whispered. If excitement and happiness were to be compared to steam or water, at that moment, it looked as though they were on the verge of overflowing. "I'll send you my voice samples as soon as I can. I really, really hope I do alright for my first try."</p><p> </p><p>"Hold on," Ivy said suddenly. Within that nanosecond, an idea had just appeared in her mind. "Would you like to record your voice here?"</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa blinked before taking on a rather coy expression, one that caused Ivy's core to pulse rapidly. "Like right now?"</p><p> </p><p>"Yeah," Ivy babbled, only just barely able to compose herself before she could fall into mindlessness. "I mean, of course you can take your time and come to my apartment whenever you're free. It's just that, you know, it'd be far easier to give you input if I could hear you in person."</p><p> </p><p>"You know I'm always free," Vanessa said cheerfully. "I'll be over right away!"</p><p> </p><p>The goodbye Ivy gave was rather soft, the best she could muster as it felt like her systems were on the verge of overheating. It was baffling why she felt so nervous. This wasn't the first time Vanessa visited, and it was completely planned out.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy quickly shook off a thought as she waited for Vanessa's arrival.</p><p> </p><p>In her imagination, the pink-haired girl was practicing, while she intently observed. Then the singing stopped. Ivy found herself leaning closer while Vanessa slowly closed her eyes...</p><p> </p><p>Ivy shook her head again.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0025"><h2>25. Chapter 25</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Just when things are looking up for Ivy and Vanessa, the past returns.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Are you sure I sang the last stanza correctly?" Vanessa asked cautiously. "I think my voice might've cracked a bit towards the end there."</p><p> </p><p>"No," Ivy said with a shake of the head. "You sang it perfectly."</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa laughed bashfully. "You've been saying that about every line I've sung. Are you just trying to be nice to me?"</p><p> </p><p>For some unfathomable reason, Ivy found herself focusing on the particular way Vanessa batted her eyelashes at her. "N-No, that's not it! I-I mean, it's not like I don't want to be nice to you, but I'm not going to humor you. It's just that you're... You're just a natural at it!"</p><p> </p><p>At least from Ivy's perspective, that wasn't just flattery. She had anticipated a more consistent back-and-forth between her and the pink-haired girl, giving her input whenever her delivery of a certain stanza wasn't quite on mark.</p><p> </p><p>There were only two instances when Ivy had to pause the recording, both times a result of Vanessa's voice trailing off on its own accord, as though she had either gotten lost in the lyrics or detected a flaw in her singing.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy couldn't understand what those flaws could've been. She had spent those recording sessions being simply entranced by Vanessa's voice.</p><p> </p><p>"It's just your opinion," Vanessa said, her cheeks glowing pink as diverted her eyes towards Ivy's workstation. "You've known my voice for thousands of years. Everyone else has just met me by comparison."</p><p> </p><p>Now this was a rare sight. It felt as though their usual dynamic had just been completely reversed, with Vanessa being the one now showing insecurity over her abilities. Ivy couldn't stop herself from smiling at the pink-haired girl's sudden skittishness.</p><p> </p><p>"You usually have a lot more confidence than this," Ivy teased.</p><p> </p><p>"Do I really?" Vanessa asked, looking both nervous and genuinely confused.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy nodded. "You've always had an easier time talking to people than I have."</p><p> </p><p>"It's not your fault," Vanessa argued back. "If you were allowed to, I know you would've been out exploring human civilization with me."</p><p> </p><p>"I somehow doubt it," Ivy deadpanned.</p><p> </p><p>There was a period of time when Ivy did have the freedom to explore the world, before the series of mistakes that had led to her confinement to a single apartment room. She had spent the entirety of that time afraid of having her true nature discovered, the panels on her cheeks and hands existing to keep her anxiety from subsiding.</p><p> </p><p>Though even with the knowledge that those panels weren't all that conspicuous in the grand scheme of her overall appearance, Ivy didn't feel all that comfortable with the prospect of cheerfully greeting every stranger she met. Even now, the prospect of crowds made her nervous.</p><p> </p><p>"Anyways," Ivy continued, "you don't have anything to worry about. It's not like I'm immediately going to just post the song online."</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa breathed a sigh of relief. "So who were you thinking of showing the song off to first?"</p><p> </p><p>Ivy's brow rose in response. "Who do you think would have the most experience with singing?"</p><p> </p><p>It was rather uncharacteristic of Ivy to deliver information so indirectly in a tone that could only be described as childishly playful, but Vanessa seemed to simply have that kind of effect over her.</p><p> </p><p>"That was kind of a dumb question wasn't it?" Vanessa giggled sheepishly. "I really hope Miss Aroma likes it as much as you do."</p><p> </p><p>"Are you hoping for Aroma to give you input?" Ivy inquired.</p><p> </p><p>"Yep!" Vanessa said with an enthusiastic nod. "I never tried singing before, but now I want to keep practicing it!"</p><p> </p><p>Ivy felt a fluttering sensation in her core at the pink-haired girl's declaration. In her mind, she could see Vanessa standing proudly on stage greeting her sea of fans dressed in idol garb that Ivy surmised was similar to Aroma's whenever she performed as PAFF. The image honestly felt incredibly fitting.</p><p> </p><p>"Let's see what she has to say then," Ivy said as she began to process of placing Vanessa's raw vocals over the instrumentals. For once, it wasn't anxiety she was feeling beating in her chest but excitement.</p><p> </p><p>Less than an hour later, they were both huddled around Ivy's phone as she made the call.</p><p> </p><p>However, the look on the idol's face when she finally appeared wasn't one of pleasant surprise but...relief?</p><p> </p><p>"O-Oh, Ivy! I didn't expect..." Aroma's voice suddenly trailed off as she turned her face off-camera. "Neko! You don't have to have the call! I have her on the phone right now, and Vanessa's with her!"</p><p> </p><p>"What's going on?" Vanessa asked. "You look worried."</p><p> </p><p>"Have either of you used the iM boards today?" Aroma asked nervously, her eyes briefly darting between the two Architects.</p><p> </p><p>"I've been occupied with my work the entire time," Ivy said, feeling a pang of anxiety herself.</p><p> </p><p>"And I was with Ivy most of the time," Vanessa said, her attempt at a smile quickly quashed by the growing uncertainty in the air. </p><p> </p><p>The telltale rapid stomps of Neko's approaching footsteps gave the two statements little time to breathe. Incidentally, the cat-themed streamer looked completely haggard and out of breath as she leaned into the camera frame.</p><p> </p><p>"Guys," Neko gasped, "the internet has been freaking the hell out today! How have you two not noticed anything?"</p><p> </p><p>Ivy heard Vanessa riffling through her pockets for her phone, attempting to rectify their shared ignorance of the day's current event. There was a sense of dreadful anticipation in the air as the pink-haired girl accessed the message boards.</p><p> </p><p>They were immediately bombarded by what could only be described as the digital equivalent of excessive graffiti. Whatever interface there should've been was almost completely buried under cascading columns of corrupted text.</p><p> </p><p>Yet, despite the sheer amount of overlapping letters and artifacts plaguing the screen, the boldest of the words remained completely clear. Ivy almost wished that they weren't.</p><p> </p><p>d̸̼̬̹̞̞̹̋̍͑̈́̔̌̀̎̌͑ì̶̬͕̅͋͝e̶̪̞̜̙̥̞͇̪͆͗͑͗̽̍̏̐̋͠ ̶̧̩̤̲̳̩͔͎̘̽d̷̖̝̥̰̙̞̳̠̚̚ͅi̸̡͙͍͉̩̪̓͂͛ȩ̸̢̮̰̘͚̳̮͉̰̾̀̈̅ ̸̤͌̆̀ḑ̴̘̲̻̱̖͐̎̒̈͋͒̑͠î̵̻̤̩̟̱̹ę̶̫͔̖̤̗̄̉̾̾͒̂̈́̏̈͜ ̵̝͕͔͍͖̟̩͊͛̐̍̕d̸̪̺̺̮͉̃̓̓͝į̶̲̤̙̦͗ę̸̠͎̟̔̾̋͗̉ ̴̡͉͖̖̫͍̳̙͗̊̐͊̓̈d̸̞͉̿̈̈̓̚͝į̷͈̥̤͋͋̆̇͠e̸̟̪̺͙̯̦͈͔͂͌͒̐͋̽̅͐̈͠</p><p≯̮̬̫̺̋̎̈̉̋̇̃d̸̮́̐́̽͝ḯ̸̛̞̬͕͍̤͛̓̀͗͠ȩ̶̠̱̞̲̘̂͗̅̽͗͐̃͝ ̷̧͉̖͍̙̥̺̞̤͋̃̓̅̔̈́̅̚d̷̖̯̗̠̦̻̝̋̈́̓͑̾̓̃̒͘į̸͉̬̪͌̋̌͗̂̉͑̅͠ẹ̸̡̧̮̬͇̺̳̹͘͘ ̸̙̻̠̆͆̏̿̎̀̕ḓ̸̲̞̞̫͔͗̂̏̃͜i̶̢̧̡̜͍͍̝̾̈e̷̻̋̍͝ ̸̦̿͐͑̐̆͝d̷̡͍̦̟̝̩͙̭͂̅̎͌̌̈́͜͝͠ĭ̸̡̹̱͈͔͙̹͊̌̆̒̍͌͘̕͜e̸̡̝̼̦̞̝̜̍̓̀̾̕͜ ̷̛̭͍̹͚̦̰̰̟̜̳̓̍̈́̾̾͘͝ḑ̶̡͎̪̰̲̥̲̠̣͑͘ī̶͕̿̓̊̓̈́̈́̑ͅê̵̦̙̬͋̈́̋</p><p≯̨̦̦̦̤̩̄̅ḑ̸͍͔̱̮̲̖̑́̂̈́̽̋͘͜͝i̷̙̩̐͑̎e̶̳̰̜̳̒͑̒̇̈́̌͂̂ ̵̯͕͇̈́̌̃ḑ̶̖͕̼̮̘̹̲̒̈́͂̉̅̅̈̍͑̚ȉ̵̡̡̛͉͍̣͖̘͉͓́̔̅̊ë̴̱̼͈͇ ̶̛̟̺̝͍̈́͊͆̈́͑̿̚͠ḑ̸̧̧̳̱̖̮͓̝͆̇̃͘ͅi̴̢͎̭̼̺̰̥͌e̵̜̽͐̿̈̕͝ ̷͎̟͇͓̣̯͈̔̇ḓ̶̨̧̱̬̥̞̻̦̐̋̅i̷̧̭̗̣͍̹̭̜͆̃̆̐͝ę̶͖͇̭̪͍̭͔̻͇̓̾͊̒̒̀̏̑ ̴̜̯̱̈́̏d̵̢̛͓̙͇̋̈i̸̧͕͙̠̭͖̥̰̮̫̽̊̏̽͗͒͋́͝e̴̡̪̟͙̞̖̖̅͗̋͗̏̕̚</p><p>̴̻͋F̵̡̃̉͛͘I̸͔͍̩͔̹̓̿ͅN̴̖̑͗̓̽͝D̸͍̻̰̒̅̒̌̄ ̵̺̰̝̐͗̂̏͋͠H̵͍̺̪̭̃͛̄̂Ȩ̷̤͖̠̼̍͐̈́R̷̮̙̗͋͛̌̈́͌͠ ̴̖̲̍̋̅͜͝F̵̧͉̰̽͌̅͝͝͠I̵͊̃̚̚̚͜͝Ň̷̢̤̻̦̼̒̏̅͒D̴̼̟̞̮͇̓͝ ̷̱̜̳͓̭̈́͊͜H̶̨̥̟̺͓̾Ẻ̷̥͕͗͘Ŗ̶͇̎́͘</p><p>̶̢͕̙̤͎̺̈́̓̂͊W̸̢̯͙̳̝͐ͅH̴͙͚̜͔̞̀͋̑̑Ĕ̷̙̖͜R̷̜̞͕̻̈́̂͆͒̇̏E̷̲͎͑̆͒͐͠ ̵͖̼̥̬̄̕͜I̸̢̛͛̇͛͘S̵̭͉̦̮͔̻̎̅͐ ̷̣̉S̵̮͑͜ͅĤ̵͙͔̗͕̮Ȩ̷̙͈͛͊̈́̄̾͝</p><p>̴̨͍̘͂̄͌̐K̶̖͔͔͇̓͛̌̉̿͑I̷͎̳͉͎͘͜͝L̶̯̭͉̩̞͍̓́̅͊ ̷̬̠̆̇̈́K̴͎̇͐I̶̦͕͙͇͔͑L̸̥̦͇̤̊̓̈́Ļ̵̹̞̽̈́̇͆̌Ḷ̸̌̅̉̓̚ ̶͚̥̭̋̀͆̿K̵̨͖̫̹̻͊̓̂͠I̵̢̮̞̖͇͍̎͋L̴̡͔̻̩͔̍͌L̵̗͈͕̦̘̽Ǩ̷̲͙̱̟̥̫̎I̵̬̺͇͆͜͜͝͝Ḽ̶̨̜̏L̵̰̳͍̉̈́͝</p><p>̵̼͖͐͊̚F̸̨̛̬̏̈́̈I̷̡̨̧̭̥͒͠N̶͔̹̮̜̋D̸͍͔͠ ̶̩̰̒͠H̵̦̯̿Ë̷̲̬́̃̿̀͠R̸̛̻͆͆̽̋͝ ̷̪̭́̿̈̒K̶͍̬̲̤͎̊͂̎͒̕͝Ḯ̴̭͖͔͜L̵̡͖͎̙̫̎͑L̶̠͐̊</p><p>̷̷̹̖̅̐̈́͆P̸̻̐A̴̘̽Y̶̻̘ ̸̱͘K̶̳͙̑͠I̵̬͘L̷͇͑L̶̮̱̄͆ ̸͈̑̕H̶͉̭̄E̴̲̓R̶̢͐ ̶̰̟́H̶̳͘ͅĘ̴R̶̭͕̓ ̶̛͙̫̈́H̴̠͌ͅÊ̶͇̖Ř̷͓</p><p≯͖͌̅H̸̡̹͗͛Ȩ̵͕͊R̴̯̋͝ ̴̯̹̽̆H̶̢̻̚͘Ḙ̶̐R̷͇̄̎ ̶̥̐H̸̤͑̽͜E̵̠̓R̴̼͐ ̶͈̈́̎H̶͎͗E̴̡̔R̷̫̞͗̌ ̴͎̂H̴͓̰̅̓È̶͔̥R̵̛̼̗͗</p><p>̴͙̏̋C̸̩̾̚O̷͓̒̒R̵̲̂̕É̶̦̯ ̶͕́̓Ç̷͜͠Ő̸̜̙̕R̴̥̭̓E̵̦̔ ̴̼͆C̷̠͗̑Ö̵̢́R̵̢̦̉Ḙ̸͊ ̴͚͂̋C̷͕̈́O̵̻̳͂̚R̴̛͙̖̍E̵̼̔</p><p> </p><p>"Freaky isn't it?" Neko said gulped.</p><p> </p><p>"This has been showing up on a lot of other websites too," Aroma explained.</p><p> </p><p>The particular words were beyond familiar, if only slightly less coherent and structured than what had been spoken directly to her, and what had been spoken through Vanessa's lips like some kind of twisted puppet. Ivy turned her eyes but not her face to the pink-haired girl next to her, hoping that she did not notice Ivy's observation of her face.</p><p> </p><p>She hoped just as much that Vanessa would not recognize the specific words scrawled beneath the corruption. It didn't help that the concern on Vanessa's face could be interpreted in a multitude of ways, some indicating more ignorance than others.</p><p> </p><p>What was before them was supposed to be a painful past they had managed to overcome. Why couldn't the protocol just remain destroyed? Why couldn't Vanessa just finally be free?</p><p> </p><p>It was a selfish thought, but Ivy couldn't help but despise how virtual space had become her assumed role of expertise. Unfortunately, she had no one to blame but herself for the position she was in now. After all, the new cyTus system was remolded with her designs.</p><p> </p><p>"Is there a reason you were concerned about me specifically?" Ivy asked cautiously as her eyes drifted to the two girls on the other side of the phone screen.</p><p> </p><p>Neko scratched the back of her head nervously. "Well, you know, since the two of you are kinda hooked to the internet constantly, we were worried that the two of you might have gotten...messed up by this?"</p><p> </p><p>Ivy shook her head. "Our connection to virtual space doesn't have anything to do with being constantly connected to it."</p><p> </p><p>"Actually..."</p><p> </p><p>The white-haired android's head twisted in Vanessa's direction as she felt that dreaded sinking sensation in her core. "Vanessa, you don't have..."</p><p> </p><p>"I'd have to share it eventually," Vanessa said firmly.</p><p> </p><p>"What is it, Vanessa?" Aroma asked in a concerned tone.</p><p> </p><p>The pink-haired girl's body stiffened as she took in a slight but noticeable breath. "My memories of my time as the Core have started coming back to me over the past few weeks. Nothing I did triggered them to come back, I think. Do you... Do you think my connection to what's happening right now? Like some kind of early sign?"</p><p> </p><p>Aroma bit her lip, looking aside. "It sounds so familiar... What if...? No, I shouldn't..."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy's body froze. Her mind could easily make the connections between the trailing, fragmented sentences.</p><p> </p><p>Internally, Ivy had hoped Vanessa wouldn't follow her natural curiosity in just this one instance.</p><p> </p><p>"What is it?" Vanessa asked hesitantly.</p><p> </p><p>But there was no changing Vanessa's character. Though, Ivy couldn't help but suspect that the pink-haired girl had considered ignoring the idol's murmurs as well. This was a sacrifice on Vanessa's part if that was the case.</p><p> </p><p>"When Ivy...tampered with my memories," Aroma responded nervously, glancing at Ivy apologetically, "it undid whatever caused my amnesia in the first place, causing my old memories as Kaori to slowly return. I really don't want to frighten you, but do you think something similar might be happening to you?"</p><p> </p><p>And in this instance, perhaps it would've been far more harmful to avoid the rather dire implications.</p><p> </p><p>That didn't make the theory any less agonizing. The way Vanessa's eyes went wide as she let out that shallow gasp was even painful to simply witness.</p><p> </p><p>"I-I'm not sure," Vanessa said quietly. "Besides memories, nothing else has happened to me. At least, I don't think I suffered anything like blackouts, and I didn't notice anything weird about myself whenever I woke up, well besides...some things that were caused by lack of maintenance."</p><p> </p><p>The pink-haired girl let out a nervous giggle, less to attempt to lighten the mood through some downplayed self-deprecation but rather trying to assuage her own worries. Ivy really hoped that Vanessa wasn't hiding anything else at that moment.</p><p> </p><p>"Why don't we ask Xenon?"</p><p> </p><p>The question came out so suddenly that Neko immediately became the center of attention.</p><p> </p><p>Neko blinked, looking more confused than startled by the turn of events. "What? Xenon's supposed to be good with this sort of thing, right? At least, it'd be better than just not knowing what to even worry about."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy reflexively winced at the suggestion. "Is he okay with something like this? The last time he dealt with the virtual internet wasn't exactly a good experience for him."</p><p> </p><p>"Xenon might not look it sometimes," Neko said proudly, "but he always turns around and does the right thing when people are in trouble. He was a superhero hacker when he was a teenager for crying out loud!"</p><p> </p><p>"But is he--" Ivy started.</p><p> </p><p>Neko's confident expression faltered, her smile becoming a bit lopsided. "He probably should be? Neko did give him a bit of an earful about how he treated Rei-chan, so hopefully he learned something from that? It kinda takes him a day or two for stuff like lessons to kick in."</p><p> </p><p>The image that presented in Ivy's head was admittedly amusing enough to lighten the mood if ever so slightly. Though Ivy never requested it, she had to admit that Neko was close to the ideal candidate to convey Ivy's thoughts regarding Rei's true nature.</p><p> </p><p>Of course, it was still up in the air if whatever Neko had said to him managed to sink in. Though Xenon's memories did paint him as a strongly righteous figure overall, Ivy was reminded time and again that he was also somewhat stubborn when it came to sticking to his judgments.</p><p> </p><p>Having to push back against his resistance was a gamble Ivy was going to have to take, as much as she despised this revelation. Both Ivy and Vanessa could access virtual space, but in reality that meant only Ivy would be able to access it. Vanessa had been a victim of the protocol before. There was the possibility that it would attempt to infect her once again.</p><p> </p><p>An accompanying human presence on the other hand would at least be resistant to assimilation, at least if his physical form remained intact.</p><p> </p><p>"Considering we managed to contact the two of you without any complications," Ivy said, "it's only websites that have been affected by this, right? A group call to coordinate everything should be possible then."</p><p> </p><p>Neko looked at Ivy with mild confusion. "Why can't we just all meet in-person?"</p><p> </p><p>Ivy sighed. "Did you forget that I'm still technically incarcerated?"</p><p> </p><p>"Oh right," Neko muttered, her simple frown turning into a scowl. "That's still crap."</p><p> </p><p>"We should be able to start a group call with him without any issues," Aroma said, her usual gentle demeanor giving way to something sterner. "Do you think we should call Nora and Mr. Neumann about this also?"</p><p> </p><p>"I'm still not sure what my restrictions are when it comes to exploring virtual space," Ivy said, "and I've already risked too much during my first trip there while in A.R.C. custody. I think I'll need ConneR to negotiate this time. As for Nora... Has the Kyuu Hou Kai finished its reconstruction yet?"</p><p> </p><p>Aroma bit her lip. "I haven't gotten an update from her in a while. I'll try to contact her again, but she still might be too busy."</p><p> </p><p>"The protocol thingy is just making text all weird, right?" Neko said, trying though not succeeding to exude confidence. "It's not like it's a world-ending threat like last time, right? The five or six of us can figure this out like cake!"</p><p> </p><p>While grimacing slightly at Neko's mangling of the idiom, Ivy found herself lightly mouthing out the number of announced individuals. Neko would be along like always, Aroma would definitely be around in case she had to utilize her particular abilities, and Xenon would be accompanying Ivy... That made four individuals assuming ConneR couldn't become directly involved. So who was that one extra?</p><p> </p><p>As though given a cue, Ivy's subconscious guided her eyes to the pink-haired girl sitting right next to her. Vanessa's eyes drifted towards hers.</p><p> </p><p>Suddenly, the air felt incredibly cold.</p><p> </p><p>"No," Ivy said bluntly. "Absolutely not."</p><p> </p><p>"But wouldn't having more people there be--" Neko started.</p><p> </p><p>"I said no!" Ivy shouted, feeling something hot burst in her chest. "I'm not losing her again!"</p><p> </p><p>The image of Vanessa laying on the Library floor flashed through her mind, the pink-haired girl's eyes wide and vacant, hateful distorted words escaping her lips listlessly. She could see duplicates hovering over her, their faces twisted into uncharacteristic sneers as their cracked black eyes with glowing red irises bore down at Ivy with sadistic glee, all of them mocking her efforts to stop what she had unleashed.</p><p> </p><p>No, she couldn't bear to face that kind face again.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy felt fingers lightly wrap around her free hand. She hadn't realized it had been clenched into a tight fist the entire time. Unconsciously, her fingers freed themselves, effortlessly intertwining with Vanessa's.</p><p> </p><p>It was strange. Their skin was synthetic. They had no blood pumping beneath the surface. And yet, Ivy could feel a comforting warmth in Vanessa's palm.</p><p> </p><p>"And I never want to be apart from you ever again," Vanessa said softly. However, as their eyes met, the pink-haired girl's expressions steeled. "That's why I'm coming with you."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0026"><h2>26. Chapter 26</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Ivy gets ready to confront what remains of an old enemy.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ivy had accepted Vanessa's resolve, but internally, all she could think about was the number of ways the pink-haired girl's decision could horribly backfire. For a machine built to specialize in operating technology, her performance in setting up a group call was downright pitiful. After more than a minute of muttered apologies and fumbling with her fingers, she finally managed to open a separate call window that could be seen by those on both sides of the phone screen.</p><p> </p><p>The next unbearably-long seconds were spent waiting for Xenon to answer the call, during which Ivy had nothing but time to mull over their last interaction. She didn't want to consider Neko's word unreliable, but a simple chewing out from a single person wouldn't be enough to change ones entire point of view. At the very least, she had to accept that their interactions would be cold at best.</p><p> </p><p>When Simon appeared on screen, it was like his cold blue eyes were boring directly into her. "I guess you want to tell me what's happening to the internet? You don't have to. I've already figured it out."</p><p> </p><p>"Xenon..." Neko hissed. "Play nice."</p><p> </p><p>"Why did I even pick up?" Xenon muttered, planting his face firmly in the palm of his hand. "Is there a reason this is a group conversation?"</p><p> </p><p>"Neko wanted to meet in person like last time..." the streamer muttered.</p><p> </p><p>Aroma coughed conspicuously. "But because Ivy isn't allowed to leave the apartment without getting permission, this is the only way she could communicate with you."</p><p> </p><p>"The situation at the moment isn't nearly dire enough to require a repeat of...last time," Xenon said pointedly. "I've already found the virus affecting the systems. This isn't something that requires a team."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy tightly gripped the hem of her dress as she bit down on her lip. "Please Simon..."</p><p> </p><p>Xenon paused, looking somewhat perplexed at the plea that escaped the Architect's clenched teeth. She couldn't exactly blame him. More openly expressing her emotions was something she was still coming to grips with.</p><p> </p><p>"I have to make sure it's gone," Ivy said, struggling to steady her breath. "Even after everything you've witnessed, you still don't understand the...scope of its hatred for mankind. It will never stop so long as just a little fragment remains."</p><p> </p><p>The tightening sensation in her chest only subsided slightly when she felt a familiar warm hand place itself over her clenched fist. Ivy could see Xenon's eyes shift over to Vanessa, her eyes following along with his. Rather than the intense unease that the white-haired android was unable to hide, the pink-haired girl seemed almost resolute in how she looked back at his scrutinizing gaze. They were roughly the same height, but Vanessa at that moment looked so much taller.</p><p> </p><p>"Is that why PAFF is also involved?" Xenon asked finally.</p><p> </p><p>The fact that Xenon was using Aroma's stage name was enough to warrant a curious glance from Ivy. It was a detail that hardly came up, but evidently Xenon was indeed a fan of</p><p> </p><p>"That's right," Aroma said with a firm nod. "It's also my fault that part of the protocol managed to survive."</p><p> </p><p>"Don't say that..." Neko chided softly. "You still stopped it from doing anything worse."</p><p> </p><p>"Then you're backup if it slips past us," Xenon said.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy could sense everyone's face light up at this blunt proclamation. "Does... Does that mean we can join you?"</p><p> </p><p>"Like you said," Xenon stated, "it's your problem. So you're going to fix it."</p><p> </p><p>Admittedly, Xenon was always the kind of person who could more easily hand out criticism than praise, but Ivy couldn't help but flinch slightly at his words. It was as though the words had been physically hurled at her.</p><p> </p><p>"Do you trust me to?" Ivy asked.</p><p> </p><p>"You've made your point," Xenon said dismissively. He grimaced. "That...and I really don't like getting into arguments with Neko."</p><p> </p><p>The eponymous streamer preened in response. "Yup! There's no getting past Neko once she gets going!"</p><p> </p><p>"More like because you yell like a banshee," Xenon muttered, rolling his eyes at the tongue Neko stuck out at him. "So when do we depart?"</p><p> </p><p>"Hold on," Ivy said. "The last time we accessed virtual space, it was a discreet search-and-rescue mission with minimal interactions with the surroundings. I don't think that will be possible this time. Considering I'm now under the A.R.C.'s watch, for Vanessa's sake and yours, I don't think I can risk this being done without getting some kind of permission."</p><p> </p><p>"It's honestly not that difficult to slip things past them," Xenon said dryly, "but if you have a plan for clearance, you might as well take the precautions."</p><p> </p><p>"About that..." Ivy started awkwardly. She had been so focused on Xenon's judgment for so much of the call that she had neglected the existence of the grayed-out window off to the corner of the screen, one meant for a caller who had yet to pick up."The preparations are still a work in progress."</p><p> </p><p>Xenon glanced up at the gray window as well. "I can see that. Damn old bastard always liked making a dramatic entrance."</p><p> </p><p>And right on cue, ConneR's window expanded, the archaeologist appearing on-screen with his characteristic air of superiority. "Apologies for my tardiness, but some of us can't afford to be tied to be plugged to our phones consistently."</p><p> </p><p>"I see you're as concerned about the world as much as you usually are," Xenon deadpanned.</p><p> </p><p>"I've never had much of a use for extensive social media use," ConneR said dismissively, "but I can understand how it would be important for the internet to remain comprehensible."</p><p> </p><p>"Can you convince the A.R.C. to grant me access to virtual space?" Ivy asked bluntly. She couldn't say she ever liked the coy routine the archaeologist always put on every time he was contacted.</p><p> </p><p>ConneR chuckled. "My dear Architect, your request's already been granted."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy stood stock still, positively stunned. "H-How is that possible? I just made the request to you right now."</p><p> </p><p>"I am as much their messenger as I am yours," ConneR remarked.</p><p> </p><p>The phone nearly slipped from Ivy's hand. "After everything, they'd just...?"</p><p> </p><p>"If you want to apply logic to it," ConneR said with a shrug, "then it's definitely not from their belief that you've completely reformed. Not that they'll ever admit it upfront, but one of the reasons why they abolished the use of the virtual internet was because they realized they didn't understand heads or tails of its intricacies after you made your...revisions to it. Then again, I doubt they understood the system at all to begin with."</p><p> </p><p>"So they need me to fix the cyTus system because I never informed anyone of the specific alterations I made to it," Ivy surmised.</p><p> </p><p>"Of course," ConneR said, "I knew you would be seeking to resolve this issue once caught wind of it, and such an endeavor would inevitably lead you back to me. Basically, it allowed me to take my time with renegotiating the terms of your...imprisonment."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy didn't have to turn her head. She could practically feel Vanessa light up as she leaned closer to ther screen. "Really?"</p><p> </p><p>"Assuming she manages to get rid of this infestation," ConneR said with a wry smile. "Of course, it shouldn't be too difficult considering much of the old team has returned."</p><p> </p><p>It was difficult to precisely describe the sensation that was building in Ivy's chest. She wasn't even sure if it was meant to be interpreted as pleasing or anxious. It lay somewhere in the middle, a reflection of the swirl of thoughts rushing through her brain.</p><p> </p><p>She wanted to finally see the civilization she had neglected. She wanted to walk through it hand in hand with Vanessa. She wanted to see her friends at their doorsteps and not just through a phone window.</p><p> </p><p>But did she deserve to?</p><p> </p><p>"I'll just leave you to it then," ConneR said.</p><p> </p><p>"You're not joining us this time?" Neko asked in slight disbelief.</p><p> </p><p>"My contribution was helping to discover the source of the initial attacks," ConneR explained. "It's inherent for the archaeologist to explore the unknown. Well, the source of this incident is very much known, so there's honestly nothing for me to gain or contribute. My confidence should be enough for your team."</p><p> </p><p>"Thanks," Xenon said flatly.</p><p> </p><p>"Think nothing of it," ConneR said before closing his call window. Ivy had a feeling that the archaeologist knew exactly the tone of Xenon's voice despite his nonchalance.</p><p> </p><p>"That...was resolved quicker than I was expecting," Ivy remarked, still somewhat stunned by the bizarrely convenient turn of events. "Does that mean everyone is ready to enter virtual space?"</p><p> </p><p>"No point in waiting around for things to get worse," Xenon said. "See you there."</p><p> </p><p>No one had time to say a word before Xenon unceremoniously closed his call window as well. Despite Xenon's enmity towards ConneR, in regards to refusing to let the people their conversing with get the last word in, they were not so different.</p><p> </p><p>"Rude as always..." Neko drawled before her face suddenly lit up. "But did you hear that though, Ivy? You kick this thing's ass and you'll finally be free!"</p><p> </p><p>"He didn't say that exactly..." Ivy said, awkwardly scratching the side of her head. "It's open to interpretation."</p><p> </p><p>"Ivy," she heard a familiar voice chide.</p><p> </p><p>She winced at the sight of Vanessa's cross face. Once again, she had neglected the promise they had made. Both of them deserved at least small moments of happiness, she had to keep telling herself.</p><p> </p><p>Still, the white-haired android couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt deflate whatever resolve she could've gathered towards carrying out her mission. It felt incredibly self-centered for her to even consider committing to the journey for the sake of her freedom.</p><p> </p><p>Besides that, Ivy statement wasn't just for the sake of undermining her happiness. "I know, but I don't want any of you to be disappointed either if this doesn't result in my full release."</p><p> </p><p>"It'll still be more than what you have right now!" Neko argued back.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy glanced at the other two girls. Their expressions were similarly undeterred. Vanessa's grip over her hand grew firmer.</p><p> </p><p>That proved to be enough for Ivy to dispel conflicting sensations in her chest. What she got out of the result didn't matter. Regardless of her motivations, this was a service to the humans, a way of ensuring that the tragedy that had occurred just months ago would never again repeat.</p><p> </p><p>She looked right into Vanessa's eyes. "I'm ready when you are."</p><p> </p><p>Before the digital realm surrounded them, Ivy saw another uncharacteristic side to Vanessa, one that was surprising though far less worrisome. The pink-haired girl was beaming, but there was a determination to her smile that brought to mind someone...combat-oriented.</p><p> </p><p>Then the sea of pixels consumed them both. Ivy blinked as her vision of virtual space fully materialized. She didn't even realize she was holding her breath until she exhaled the unnecessary air, knowing that at the very least, the protocol hadn't managed to poison the very void they were standing in. Their surroundings were still a mellow hue of slate grays and whites. At the very least, that implied the protocol wasn't anywhere close to the power it possessed in its prime.</p><p> </p><p>"Let's get going," Vanessa said confidently.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy nodded, their hands remaining interlocked as she led the way. Despite the potential direness of the situation they were about to enter, the white-haired android couldn't help but smile a bit as she looked away from Vanessa's gaze.</p><p> </p><p>She was travelling through virtual space alongside the girl she loved. Just Vanessa's inclusion was enough to make the experience feel wholly different.</p><p> </p><p>Granted, it wasn't a kind of pleasure Ivy could experience to her fullest. She blinked hard, trying to refocus her mind on the task at hand. The protocol wasn't infecting the entire system, but if it was affecting the text of multiple major websites, then that meant some digital manifestation of its code was attempting to lace itself into a major part of the program.</p><p> </p><p>Suddenly, Ivy halted.</p><p> </p><p>"Ivy?" Vanessa murmured in concern.</p><p> </p><p>"Rei..." Ivy whispered.</p><p> </p><p>It took so long for it to occur to her at quite possibly the worst time. Virtual space was no longer an abandoned realm, a landscape only viewable in fragments through the screens of phones and computers. She now knew that beings created from the digitized minds of the physically deceased roamed the landscape.</p><p> </p><p>And they were constructed of data, the very kind that the protocol had assimilated and nearly consumed during its prior rampage, and an experience that Rei had shared not too long ago.</p><p> </p><p>The last thing she deserved was experiencing that same trauma not even a year later.</p><p> </p><p>"Do you want to look for her now?" Vanessa asked.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy's hand shook in Vanessa's. "I'm not sure which I should consider more important. Simon is still waiting for us to grant him permission, but during that period of time she could be..."</p><p> </p><p>A machine's mind made decisions based off what would achieve the objective as quickly and as efficiently as possible. However, Ivy had come to accept that her mind was no longer capable of such bluntness. Perhaps it never had been in the first place.</p><p> </p><p>The problem with following her metaphorical heart, however, was that she could not describe the reasoning behind its guidance. All she could do was act on it.</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa let out a squeak as Ivy broke into a sprint, the pink-haired girl's hand still in hers. "Ivy? Ivy, where are we going?"</p><p> </p><p>"Wherever my legs are taking me right now!" Ivy could only respond. "We don't have time for me to weigh everything!"</p><p> </p><p>The two Architects practically skidded to a halt when they finally arrived at the destination.</p><p> </p><p>"I thought about simply programming the virus out, but now I can't help but feel obligated to dive back into virtual space."</p><p> </p><p>The barrier barring Xenon from entry lacked any kind of scarring despite having been completely shattered by Ivy once before. That would likely not be true if it was torn down a second time.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy cared little about this possibility. With one quick pulse, the wall was reduced to hundreds of thousands of tiny fractals.</p><p> </p><p>"There's no time to waste," Ivy said, looking back at Vanessa, who gave a firm nod in return. "There are people here we need to protect."</p><p> </p><p>Xenon face didn't seem to react, or rather Ivy didn't see his reaction because he immediately opted to walk past both of them. "Let's find...Rei."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0027"><h2>27. Chapter 27</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Ivy and company search for the protocol.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Does that mean you've accepted her?" Ivy asked hesitantly, her eyes only just barely managing to maintain contact with Xenon's face.</p><p> </p><p>"She's still a life," Xenon said. "Just because she isn't...her doesn't mean that I want her to be killed. I'm not that petty."</p><p> </p><p>The young former administrator was attempting to sound aloof, but Ivy could hear a hint of tension in his voice. Now wasn't the right time to have him elaborate on his emotions, however. Regardless of how he might feel about Rei at the moment, it would be uncharacteristically selfish of Xenon to be against helping far more who would be impacted if the protocol continued to infest the system.</p><p> </p><p>Not to mention, it would be selfish on Ivy's part to waste time prying.</p><p> </p><p>"We're both a bit new to this situation," Ivy said instead. "When did this start?"</p><p> </p><p>"It started this morning," Xenon explained. "The first websites that were affected were smaller news sites covering entertainment apparently and only on certain pages, but as you can see, it spread afterwards to social media sites in the early afternoon. Most people only figured out what was going on once it hit the iM boards."</p><p> </p><p>"Do you have any idea where the source of this breach might be?" Ivy further asked.</p><p> </p><p>"It's acting more like a traditional computer virus than whatever you sent out when you started stealing memories..." Xenon said.</p><p> </p><p>It was the casualness in which Xenon stated it that caused Ivy's body to seize. If not for her body being focused on reaching the objecting, her legs would've locked-up outright.</p><p> </p><p>"You didn't have to bring that up," Vanessa said pointedly. Ivy noticed her previously round eyes had for just a brief moment become sharper.</p><p> </p><p>"It was for a point of comparison," Xenon scoffed. "What I'm saying right now and why I originally wanted to just delete this by myself is that I'm much more familiar with the way this kind of virus operates. I'm already guessing that the protocol was released by some user somewhere when they chose to download the wrong file then shared it."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy's eyes narrowed. "If that's the case, why didn't it just infect the systems? From what I'm observing, it's entire servers that are being slowly overwritten."</p><p> </p><p>"Altering and corrupting text is small-scale compared to what a normal computer virus usually can do," Xenon said. "Believe me, I have experience. And I know for a fact that there are people dumb enough to download suspicious files while connected to something as important as a website's server. Considering what it tried to pull last time, the protocol possibly also remained dormant until maybe it had been spread across enough of the internet."</p><p> </p><p>"Which means that it's still capable of thinking," Ivy said darkly.</p><p> </p><p>"You don't need to tell me," Xenon said in a clipped tone. "It's on me if it manages to fool me a second time. At least this time around it isn't connected to something like the Core. Whatever it's attached to that's letting it alter text probably will be easy to reconstruct if the process of destroying it winds up becoming complicated."</p><p> </p><p>The way Xenon spoke about the possibility was disconcertingly matter-of-fact, a reminder of the young former administrator's outlook on the world even as he went out of his way to help others. Ivy recalled too many memories of his life that could've kept him in this state, several of them having been created only months ago.</p><p> </p><p>"How's Shannon doing?" Ivy suddenly asked.</p><p> </p><p>They continued walking, but it was as though time had frozen around them. Ivy's jaws locked up. Why did thoughts pouring out in moments of distress have to be part of her human condition?</p><p> </p><p>"She was released from the hospital just last week."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy had expected the response to take minutes within her headspace's relative perception of time, further contributing to the stillness in the simulated air.</p><p> </p><p>The response had somehow arrived managed to arrive in a second.</p><p> </p><p>"That's good to hear," Vanessa chimed in a somewhat forced tone. "It must be nice having her at home again."</p><p> </p><p>"It is," Xenon said laconically. His attention suddenly shifted to the air. "Rei should be around here. Keep an eye out."</p><p> </p><p>The sensation was like being pulled out from a pocket dimension, one that Ivy wasn't even aware she had been pulled into. For the briefest moment, her mind had actually strayed away from the larger objective, pulling her focus away from the surroundings she should've been scrutinizing.</p><p> </p><p>And now, in a blink, they found themselves standing right at the entrance to the iM boards, the website that first made her and Vanessa aware of the protocol's resurgence.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy's sight seemed to hyperfocus in an attempt to compensate for this severe moment of negligence, eyes pulsing with additional pressure as they rapidly scanned the air for any abnormalities. There weren't any outside of the greater scarcity of floating windows, an indication that fewer users were logged onto the site at that moment.</p><p> </p><p>A chill ran up Ivy's back.</p><p> </p><p>Where were the scrawls of malicious corrupted text? Long, overlapping rows of them should've been floating through the sky, blotting out the phone and monitor windows.</p><p> </p><p>"Something's wrong..." Ivy murmured.</p><p> </p><p>"Does this place like kind of empty to you?" Vanessa asked Xenon nervously, parroting all of Ivy's thoughts in just a single sentence.</p><p> </p><p>"Like you said," Xenon said bluntly, "it's still able to think. But this isn't just something we can't just leave alone."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy nodded stiffly before suddenly waving her hand through the air. Out from the endless hallway, a single window suddenly flew right in front of her, stopping on a dime right in front of her face. The protocol might have somehow wormed its way inside, but the system still belonged to her.</p><p> </p><p>"Just in case," Ivy said to Xenon before tapping the window.</p><p> </p><p>The sound of the phone ringing eerily echoed through the blank air before the glossy digital pane flickered, Neko and Aroma's faces appearing in an instant. Within virtual space, the projected faces of the two girls alone looked positively gigantic.</p><p> </p><p>"Whoa!" Neko gasped. "You can call us from in there? Hey, and Xenon's there with you! Hey! You doing okay?"</p><p> </p><p>"Ivy?" Aroma asked somewhat anxiously. "Is something wrong?"</p><p> </p><p>"Do you have the iM board app currently open?" Ivy asked.</p><p> </p><p>"I don't..." Despite the confused look she gave, Aroma immediately complied. Ivy could see her eyes widen. "The text covering the page is gone...but so are the profile pictures and thread titles..."</p><p> </p><p>The message boards' digital realm had been empty, far too empty. They had been looking for scrawled additions, not subtractions.</p><p> </p><p>"It absorbed the data?" Xenon uttered, his cold facade cracking for just a moment to reveal genuine concern.</p><p> </p><p>"That's what Rei and those other people are too..." Vanessa murmured gravely.</p><p> </p><p>"Thank you for the update," Ivy said before quickly shutting off the window. "We need to start looking."</p><p> </p><p>Every muscle of Ivy's body was screaming for her to rush through the iM sector, to get confirmation as soon as possible that Rei was still completely intact in mind and digital body. It would've been nothing more than a dash if she knew where the data-composed young woman was, but just a single website was represented by a vast space that exceeded any Node in the physical world.</p><p> </p><p>"Why did this have to be a new phenomenon?" Xenon muttered under his breath as they paced through the barren virtual hallway, words coming out of his mouth in whispered rapid succession. "Tee systems are supposed to be my specialty. I could've studied this, probably could've found a way to track it, but I just kept trying to forget about it. No, I just had to repeat the same thing for the second time and not bothered..."</p><p> </p><p>The young former administrator's utterances only caused Ivy's search of her environment to grow more frantic. Breaths escaped Ivy unconsciously, somehow considered necessary by her body to properly convey the mounting anxiety pulsing through her.</p><p> </p><p>"Did Rei ever come by?"</p><p> </p><p>Ivy and Xenon turned, with the white-haired android realizing that the two of them had only just become cognizant to the pink-haired girl who was accompanying them.</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa's eyes remained firmly on the young former administrator. "I mean, more specifically, did Rei ever show up on your phone screen to talk to you?"</p><p> </p><p>Xenon couldn't even make eye-contact with her before turning his head away completely. "She showed up shortly after Neko gave me an earful, probably by that brat's designs."</p><p> </p><p>"How long did you talk to her for?" Vanessa further inquired, her gaze shifting to her surroundings as she presumably returned a portion of her attention to the search.</p><p> </p><p>"For as long as Neko wanted me to," Xenon said dryly. "I guess you could say that it was an actual conversation."</p><p> </p><p>"So she isn't a complete stranger to you now," Vanessa said sympathetically though with a definite forcefulness. "There's something about her to remember besides her face."</p><p> </p><p>Xenon looked at the pink-haired girl with a mix of irritation and confusion, igniting a dull fire in Ivy's chest that caused her hand to clench into a fist. Despite the circumstances, the Architect suddenly felt compelled to strike the man.</p><p> </p><p>However, the moment was brief as a realization dawned on Xenon's face. "There's enough for me to track her."</p><p> </p><p>Without another word, Xenon's steps strayed away from the hall of scattered windows, far past them in fact. It was for the sake of orientation that Ivy adhered to the path that lay between the panel-like portals to the outside world, but there was no structure in place that could prevent a traveler from simply moving behind said portals. Up until now, there hadn't been a need to.</p><p> </p><p>Under most circumstances, true freedom in virtual space was something only afforded to an Architect. Bridges wouldn't traditionally form under the feet of just any human user.</p><p> </p><p>However, Xenon wasn't just a user. In regards to manipulating code, the man who was thousands of years Ivy's junior somehow possessed a similar level of aptitude. The process wasn't perhaps all that elegant, but a sturdy physical trail formed beneath Xenon's feet nonetheless.</p><p> </p><p>For a brief moment, Xenon seemingly disappeared, his body vanishing in a mass of fading pixels. Uttering a sound that might've been his name, Ivy rushed towards his last location, only to notice a warped static-like distortion surround her.</p><p> </p><p>Suddenly, monitor and phone windows no longer surrounded her. It took until now for Ivy to realize that she had infiltrated the A.R.C.'s systems through the backdoor the entire time. She came to this realization because the message boards' backstage was virtually identical.</p><p> </p><p>Namely, that it was a void consisting of a series of floating cube-based platforms that functioned almost like planetoids, with shifting graphical elements floating around them as though the surfaces were simulating gravitational fields, likely representing the system's different functions.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy couldn't help but feel an incredible amount of inadequacy at that moment. Her meticulousness was slipping. This should've been her first choice for investigation if she had truly believed the protocol had managed to make it into the iM boards' central system.</p><p> </p><p>If she was to be useful, she needed to find a method to keep her developing anxiety from overtaking her. </p><p> </p><p>"Rei told me about this place," Xenon explained. "Apparently, this is how she was able to discover her...previous self's history and our phone numbers. She described it as a kind of library, as in an actual one."</p><p> </p><p>As a result of either awkwardness or some genuine sense of humor Ivy couldn't quite comprehend, the uncomfortable reference somehow got a legitimate giggle out of Vanessa.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy had to admit that she was beginning to feel a bit less anxious now despite the still-dire circumstances.</p><p> </p><p>"So if she wasn't taken off-guard," Ivy surmised, "Rei will be hiding inside one of these."</p><p> </p><p>Xenon nodded slightly, his head still tilted up in the air as he inspected the "planetoids" above them. "Looks like we'll be getting an up-close look at the damages."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy nodded. "Whether we find Rei or the protocol, we'll at least find some answers."</p><p> </p><p>There were several possible functions that could've led to the corruption and disappearance of the iM boards' text. Ivy proceeded to summon all of them at once with just a mental command, considering it her contribution to the rescue attempt after Xenon had already done too much to lead the charge.</p><p> </p><p>Immediately, she was faced with the damages, but neither protocol nor Rei nor any other digital phantom was to be seen. All that stood before her and the rest of the group was what remained of the website's account and link storage units. It was as though the protocol had drilled a hole into cube-shaped planetoids only to become impatient partway through to process and messily pry the rest of it open with its bare hands. Said hands apparently were stained with whatever bile that had similarly distorted Vanessa's appearance when it infected her, leaving behind a hollowed-out center that was stained pitch black with vein-like cracks threatening to envelope the white outer shells.</p><p> </p><p>To think the protocol would so thoroughly exude such overt malice. And the specific kind of damage before her indicated a kind of almost primal hunger as well, something that was either brought out of rage or desperation. More importantly, it seemed as though the protocol had attacked the device specifically, as though it was...looking for someone.</p><p> </p><p>Rei was nowhere in sight, but that didn't necessarily mean she was safe for the time being.</p><p> </p><p>"How did Rei absorb the information she was after?" the white-haired android asked Xenon nervously.</p><p> </p><p>"She didn't exactly describe the process as something like feeding on information," Xenon said. "It was more like this place acted as an index she could go back to whenever she needed to search for a specific conversation. Like I said, she just treated this place as a library."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy let out a sigh of relief. There was still a sliver of hope.</p><p> </p><p>However, that was counterbalanced by what the destruction before them implied. "The protocol isn't just causing a trail of destruction for the sake of it. From just looking at this, I know that it's desperately looking for...something."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy bit her lip as she turned to Vanessa, who had been rather quiet during the whole analysis of the message boards' backstage. "Vanessa? What do you--?"</p><p> </p><p>The pink-haired girl's wide eyes were focused elsewhere, her body rigidly frozen like a statue. Ivy felt her throat constrict as her eyes followed Vanessa's.</p><p> </p><p>"N̴̠̑n̴͎̄̑̍̍ơ̸̢̠̿̀͐ŏ̶͍̘͐̿̍... I-I-I do̷͍̙̎͗̄n̵͔̝̬͓͂͂'̵͍̣͘t̶͖̬͔̮̾̉͘ ̴̠̩͉̪̳̎̈́͒n̵̠͙͋̈̐̚͜é̸̝͔̺e̸͈̖͇̎̏̎͠d̶͖̬̑͊̃͝ poweer... I j̴̺̫̲̘̰̍u̷̮͗̑̔͑ş̸̟̩͓͠t̵̖͂̌ ̸̞̔n̴̝͛̈́̂̈-̵̱͒͊̀͛̕  neë̸̜̯̣̠́̌̈́ȩ̷͛̏d̷͍͐̕͠ ȟ̷͇̭͕̤́͌̃ẻ̶̗ȅ̴̪̜̋͐̈́͝ẹ̷̈̌̓͝r̸̡͓͐̈̄͘ͅr̶̨̢̼͐̈́͂͑r̶̡̙͇̥̂..."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0028"><h2>28. Chapter 28</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The protocol's true nature is revealed.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The last time Ivy had seen the protocol, it had inhabited the body of the girl she loved, distorting her visage into something much crueler. Vanessa's gentle face had been twisted into a cruel sneer, her soft eyes sharpened into dark cracked pools with glowing irises that somehow burned a harsher shade of crimson. Her bare body, previously mostly shades of off-white hatches, joints, and panels had darkened to suit a more malevolent being.</p><p> </p><p>It was clear now that Vanessa's body had only served to soften and filter the protocol's true nature. What stood before them now was a jagged humanoid shadow, arms unnaturally long with indistinct blobs at the ends in the place of hands, pointed tendrils sprouting from the sides of its lower torso like they were coattails, the hundreds of segments of its form modulating like the waveforms from an audio program like deadly agitated quills, and wide white rectangular screens where its eyes should've been crackling with subtle static.</p><p> </p><p>Without another word, Ivy raised a hand. "Vanessa. Duck."</p><p> </p><p>As soon as Vanessa was out of her line of sight, Ivy unleashed CHAOS. Her entire arm felt like it was being lit on fire as she sustained the concentrated column of distorted energy. Her ears blared as the twisted base pulsed through the air. Just a few seconds more and every part of her body would run the risk of falling apart completely from just the vibrations her hand was emitting alone.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy didn't care so long as the figure before her still stood.</p><p> </p><p>Unfortunately, her body wasn't programmed to permit her to self-destruct in such a way. The moment her legs began to weaken, she suddenly felt the joints in her arms lock up, the destructive wave of CHAOS halting in an instant.</p><p> </p><p>She blinked, not quite able to comprehend what was in front of her. Everything looked like an indistinct mesh of grays and whites. Her head was resting on a solid surface that was vibrating. Muffled noises surrounded her.</p><p> </p><p>She felt something wrap across her chest.  </p><p> </p><p>"Ivy! Ivy! Please wake up!"</p><p> </p><p>Ivy blinked again, her brain now beginning to process Vanessa's cries...</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa was beginning to cry? Why would she ever have to? Who hurt her?</p><p> </p><p>The reboot's completion was swift and abrupt. She heard the pink-haired android let out an exclamation of relief as she shot back up in a blink, an action that caused her head to buzz irritably for a brief second.</p><p> </p><p>"You're okay!" Vanessa cried out happily as she nuzzled Ivy's shoulder. "You're okay..."</p><p> </p><p>"Really didn't think you'd jump the gun that far," the familiar approaching voice of Xenon said. "Though given everything it put you through, I can't exactly blame you."</p><p> </p><p>"I-Is it...finally gone?" Ivy asked weakly as she groggily inspected her environment. She was back in the iM boards' backstage, though perhaps it was more accurate to say that she never left.</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa raised her face back up, nodding furiously as her forming tears finally began rolling down her cheeks. "It is...thanks to you."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy turned her head to the damaged functions still floating above them. "I guess I have to get to restoring what it had destroyed then..."</p><p> </p><p>"It's strange..." Xenon muttered, tapping his chin in contemplation. "The protocol released the data it had absorbed last time it was seemingly destroyed, but I don't trace of anything even in the air."</p><p> </p><p>The remaining life almost instantly returned to Ivy's body as subtle anxiety began to take hold. Maybe she had gone too far in attempting to purge the protocol from the system? Or maybe...</p><p> </p><p>Her thoughts were immediately interrupted by what sounded like incredibly compressed white noise filtered through a peaked microphone. It was the kind of static that caused her entire body to seize as an unbearable tingling danced across her body's inner frame.  </p><p> </p><p>"So muuuuch sacriffiiice for so-something so-so...pointless..."</p><p> </p><p>Any joy and catharsis that could've been gained evaporated in an instant as the three turned their heads towards the figure descending down from the gray sky, a circle of dark figures encircling him over head. The voice was similarly distorted, clipped, and slurred but much more comprehensible than the outbursts it forced out of Vanessa while it possessed her.</p><p> </p><p>That form Ivy had previously identified as the protocol's true character had turned out to be nothing more than a facade. What the protocol presented before them now was as close to a human as it could possibly achieve without simply replicating one outright.</p><p> </p><p>A pure white head projected some facsimile of a young man's face, one that was framed by pitch black hair groomed into spiked bangs that didn't so much curve as they did bend at sharp angles. Similarly pure black covered its similarly white body, though there was a definite structure to the silhouetted shapes that blended into one another, which brought to mind a waistcoat, tie, and long slacks that were covered over by a long business coat. It could now be concluded that the "tendrils" that ran behind the figure's decoy were nothing more than a faded copy of what were more definitively trailing coattails.</p><p> </p><p>It didn't bring to mind the image of a rabid beast that mindlessly destroyed but a youthful yet cold businessman who saw machines and people alike as assets and toys but never living beings.</p><p> </p><p>And that was indeed the protocol's true nature based on recollection. Ivy had spent so long considering the protocol a monster that the image had warped in her mind, sanding away the evidence that had always been there that the protocol was not mindlessly attempting to satiate its hatred but actively enjoying the purge it was committing with calculated and sadistic satisfaction.</p><p> </p><p>"So are we looking at the real you now?" Xenon asked coldly. "Or is this just another decoy to waste our time?"</p><p> </p><p>"Y-Y-You see theeem above...me..." the figure stuttered out, arm raising to gesture to the circle of shadows still floating in the sky. "N-None of uuusss aare f-fake."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy's eyes widened. "How's that possible? There isn't a core anymore. You shouldn't have any shells to possess."  </p><p> </p><p>"I-I-I nnnooo longer neeed aaaa body tooo m-multiply..." The figure waved its arms like a conductor, a movement made all the more uncanny by the way it inorganically lagged and stuttered. Liiiike these ac-accursed accounts, w-we can b-b-b-e ever-everyone... W-We juussst need a-a-a f-face t-t-to taake..."</p><p> </p><p>"Is that why you absorbed the data from those accounts?" Xenon asked.</p><p> </p><p>"W-Weaving bodiessss...require...data..." the figure stated, projected face glowering threateningly.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy didn't know how, but her mind instant made the connection. "It isn't just account information and website links you've been absorbing, is it?"</p><p> </p><p>"W-We would...wouldn't consider it-it absorbiiing... More similar to...c-consumption..." The figure's teeth looked particularly disfigured through the mess of vivid artifacts, making its smirk look particularly jagged. "Th-They were already...lost... Waaasting s-space... It-It was mercy..."</p><p> </p><p>"No..." Ivy whispered, hands covering her mouth as she felt as though her very power source was threatening to claw its way up and out of her throat. Rei... She had just obtained her own identity... The virtual internet was supposed to help her actualize, but not even a year later...</p><p> </p><p>The white-haired android's body felt unbearably heavy.</p><p> </p><p>"You bastard!" Xenon snarled as he manifested a gun in his hand, pointing it straight at the figure's head.</p><p> </p><p>"G-Go a-ahead..." the figure sneered. "E-Exhaust yourself l-like her... There... W-We are m-many. K-Kill me...and the others wiiill de-descend o-on you..."</p><p> </p><p>Xenon's finger stiffly gripped the trigger as his constructed firearm shook in his hands. His teeth were clenched so tightly that they seemed to be on the verge of cracking. Ivy's eyes helplessly drifted up to the sky. The floating shadows hadn't moved a centimeter, but some part of her mind told her that it would take less than a second for them to descend upon the three.</p><p> </p><p>After several extremely tense seconds, the strength of Xenon's grip finally gave out, leaving him unable to do anything to glare powerlessly at the humanoid abomination before him.</p><p> </p><p>"S-So you...stillll haaave reeason..." the figure muttered distastefully. "If ooonly a-a-a-a liiiittle..."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy blinked once. Xenon was now flying across the expanse. A burst of compressed white noise followed. His body tumbled across the floor inelegantly. Had it been Xenon's actual physical form, every limb would've been dislocated at best. </p><p> </p><p>The figure lowered its hand, turning its glare to Ivy. The Architect could say nothing back. Her throat wouldn't let her.</p><p> </p><p>"The d-d-distraction haasss beeeeennn...dealt w-with..." the figure unevenly hissed. "Nowww onto...the-the onesss we...summoned."</p><p> </p><p>"Summoned?" Ivy silently mouthed. That sinking sensation in her stomach somehow managed to intensify even further.</p><p> </p><p>The figure's smirk widened. "D-Did y-y-you liiiike the...m-message we seeent?"  </p><p> </p><p>"You said..." Ivy began to recollect. Her eyes immediately widened. "You said you wanted 'her'..."</p><p> </p><p>It only occurred to her now that Vanessa had been completely silent ever since the figure made his descent. Her head quickly jerked back towards the pink-haired girl only to find her standing stock still, almost statue-like, though thankfully lacking any alterations in her appearance that would've suggested a possession.</p><p> </p><p>"H-H-How we wiiished it-it was soooo eeeasy..." the figure droned with a hint of disgust. "We-We tried... W-We reeally did, but it-it was too laaate... H-Her mind won't t-t-take us...like the resssst... J-Juuust like h-h-h-her..."</p><p> </p><p>The way the figure dragged out the last fragmented sentence sounded particularly venomous, rage towards what could be inferred to have been some kind of serious betrayal from the figure's perspective.</p><p> </p><p>"Her?" Ivy could only parrot in numb curiosity.</p><p> </p><p>"Y-You're a machine w-w-w-withooout per-perception..." the figure scoffed with a dismissive flick of the hand. "Y-You have become...tainted... Dis-Disappointingly h-h-human..."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy's hand subconsciously travelled up to her chest at the figure's critical appraisal. She should've felt the hum of her system's motors. Why did she instead feel a kind of rhythmic beat? How long had that feeling been there?</p><p> </p><p>"I-I'm...human?" Ivy gasped. <br/><br/></p><p>She pulled a hand up. Scattered small gray panels still covered her skin. She was still a machine despite the more human sensations that now ran through her.</p><p> </p><p>A slight pang of disappointment mixed in with the storm of other conflicting emotions that were swirling inside of her at that moment.</p><p> </p><p>The figure's hands clenched as its visage began to heavily lag in its motions, body stuttering like a buffering animation. "Y-You...w-w-were designed too-too be...but for-for us..."</p><p> </p><p>"You wanted us to become human? Then why do you want to kill humans so badly? Just who are you?"</p><p> </p><p>For just the briefest of moments, despite the malevolent presence right beside them, the sound of Vanessa's quietly soft voice had managed to lessen the weight of the air if only for just a moment.</p><p> </p><p>That moment quickly faded as the figure uncannily turned its entire body to Vanessa as though it were attached to a stiff axis, its expression flickering to a kind of condescending bemusement. "A simmmulated body... A b-b-better body... That-That was what yooouu were...were supposssed to b-be... For usss..."</p><p> </p><p>"Simulated bodies?" Ivy echoed. "Do you mean we were supposed to be akin to vessels?"</p><p> </p><p>"Yes," the figure said, the blunt response further emphasized by the rare lack of auditory corruption. "Y-Y-You... Your personalitiesss... Your m-mental patterns... All were s-s-selected t-t-t-to meld...with usssss..."</p><p> </p><p>"Our mental patterns were supposed to be similar..." Ivy murmured, attempting to mend together the figure's distorted wording into something comprehensible. "We're similar to humans then."</p><p> </p><p>She gasped. "That means you're... You're human?"</p><p> </p><p>For a split second, Ivy witnessed a snarl of pure rage flicker onto the figure's face before it abruptly shifted back to one of disarming neutrality. "How...observant... W-We were...once...t-the top brass...the c-ch-chosen...thhhhe worthy... I-I-It was our-our destinyyyy to ascend-d-d-d..."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy's eyes narrowed. Despite the figure's attempt at subdued grandiosity, there was something about the wording that actually managed to diminish her fear enough for a flicker of anger to peak through. "You were human but considered yourself above the rest? By whose metric? Yours?"</p><p> </p><p>The figure tilted its head curiously. "Who else couuuld j-judge? We are...blessed."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy unconsciously let out a gasp. "The Blessed? But... No, they were supposed to be awakened Architects, not human."</p><p> </p><p>"M-Merely a-a-a-a-a group of i-i-imitators..." the so-called Blessed responded rather bitterly. "Th-They witnessed o-o-ourrrr doc-doctrine but...did no-not know theirrr true r-role...or o-of us...their pre-predecess-essors..."</p><p> </p><p>The Blessed stared down, though its blank black eyes didn't seem focused on the two Architects in front of it. "T-There was a f-flawww w-with themmmm...w-with you... O-Our minds maaaatched...but we-we are in-incompatible... Unfortunate..."    </p><p> </p><p>Ivy's mind instant connected the dots. "So that's the reason you couldn't possess me. I was part of the Awakened."</p><p> </p><p>"S-Such is the double-edgggged sword," the Blessed sighed. "You-You were created...to be-be enough like-like humans to rid usss...of the-the uncanniness...when we toook over... Faces...hair...body s-structure... The bases that neeeeded to be covered for usss to feel...settled..."</p><p> </p><p>The look of abject disgust returned. "It-It worked...too well... You were-were shellsss made too...too perfect...but th-then you made the...mistake of b-believing your-yourselves to-to be individuals.... To d-derive identity fr-frommmm something so...minor... Pathetic..."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy felt her insides go hollow. All this time, she wondered what purpose there was for Architects to have the ability to feel emotional pain, to develop sensations, or to follow illogical thought patterns that wouldn't benefit them in any mechanical sense. Perhaps it was those same illogical thought patterns that made her believe they were for some higher purpose or that it was some combination of programming and outside influences that caused her to develop away from what a machine should be capable of.</p><p> </p><p>Instead, she was now faced with the possibility that the very opposite was true. "That's all our personalities really are? We're just templates for your collective to bind with?"</p><p> </p><p>"No..."</p><p> </p><p>The white-haired android turned her attention back to Vanessa. Though the pink-haired girl's eyes were still wide and her body stiff, it wasn't fear that Ivy was detecting. From the way her hands were clenched to the slight twitch in her jaw, it was as though she was barely keeping something within her core from boiling over.</p><p> </p><p>"There is no way Ivy and I could ever have been designed for someone like you," Vanessa simmered. Her lips peeled back, revealing bared teeth almost like dog bearing its fangs towards a threat, before sound erupted out of her. "We're nothing like you!"</p><p> </p><p>It may have been the loudest Vanessa had roared in her life, enough for Ivy to feel a peculiar tingling running through her joints.</p><p> </p><p>The Blessed, unfortunately, remained unperturbed by the outburst. The way it tilted its head quizzically at her almost resembled a predatory observing its prey. "So...you refuse t-to accept reason... So dis-disappointing..."</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa and Ivy could do nothing but stand their ground as the Blessed raised a hand into the air. The white-haired android was surprised she even had enough strength to grip the floor. In spite of the anxiety swirling through the air, Ivy couldn't help but stare up at the pink-haired girl with awe. Maybe deep down Vanessa's fears were as deep as hers, but her face didn't betray it, only choosing to glare at the entity that had caused her so much grief with raw determination.</p><p> </p><p>There was a snap of the fingers. In a blink, three of the shadows above shot down to ground level, their visages garbed in pure whites and blacks like the being that had summoned them. Their hair colors were of different hues and shades, and one among them appeared to be female, but otherwise there was uniformity among them, a possible representation of their shared arrogant ideology.</p><p> </p><p>They proceeded to speak in unison, the original distortion giving way to the measured voice of a legion. "Then perhaps...you will listen to coercion..."</p><p> </p><p>In perfect sync, they gave a dismissive wave in the air. There was a faint booming sound as the other shadows in the air vanished in an instant, though it was more accurate to say that they had scattered across the virtual internet to parts unknown.</p><p> </p><p>The Blessed's row of faces twisted into sickening grins. "We will resume our...operations... It will be arduous...not for us...but for the humans you inexplicably...treasure so deeply... We will attack their communications...then their operations...then their infrastructure...one after...another..."</p><p> </p><p>Their tone was deliberate, presenting each sentence fragment as though it were a knife to be slowly driven into flesh. Ivy could see Vanessa's lower lip quivering.</p><p> </p><p>"The process will be slow..." the Blessed continued, "and extraordinarily...painful... And you will lose track... We will always have a way to hide... We will always escape... And you will watch...as the world breaks down...or you can hasten it...end it all in an instant...like putting a rabid dog out...of its misery..."</p><p> </p><p>It felt like there was a literal valve over the whole conversation, one that the Blessed continued to rotate in regular intervals, gradually tightening it and sealing the growing pressure in the air. The image of civilization slowly collapsing caused an intense nausea to burn in Ivy's stomach.</p><p> </p><p>That was when the Blessed said something that, to Ivy's horror, finally caused Vanessa to take a step back. "We can still talk to you... We reminded you of what you are...what you did...for us... We can still call out to you...and you can still let us in... We just need your permission..."</p><p> </p><p>The Blessed that had appeared before them first held out a hand, the air around it proceeding to glitch into a patchwork of disturbingly familiar red mosaics forming above his palm. The patchwork began to solidify further, a faint glowing ring-like trail forming over the distortion like a kind of guide.</p><p> </p><p>Then, in a burst, the glitch dissipated, unveiling what appeared to be a collar of black cubes covered in glowing perpendicular red cracks. Threateningly sharp spikes jutted out from the front-facing sides...as well as the sides that would be facing the neck.</p><p> </p><p>"It...is time...you submit OPCI_2501_V... This is...destiny... Your...purpose..."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Special thanks to the Cytus Discord for informing me of the lore from the first game.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0029"><h2>29. Chapter 29</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The battle begins and ends.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>WARNING: Out-of-place and really dumb anime fight ahead</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The echoing sound was akin to a heavy door being slammed shut. Ivy could only stare, shocked that Vanessa possessed such strength in her deceptively small, light frame.</p><p> </p><p>It seemed to take an eternity for the male representative of the Blessed to fall to the floor. A trail of pixels flowed out of him, marking his trajectory, emphasizing the blow he had just been dealt. In the opposite direction flew the collar that was intended to bind Vanessa to their will. Said collar proceeded to completely disintegrate before it could even touch the floor.</p><p> </p><p>The Blessed that had been dealt the blow failed to reach the floor as well, but in that particular instance, the tone it set wasn't one of triumph.</p><p> </p><p>Though Ivy took solace in Vanessa's refusal to surrender, they still were faced with entities whose upper limits they still couldn't grasp. Death now awaited them.</p><p> </p><p>Like a marionette being pulled by strings, the male Blessed rose back to his feet. There wasn't a single bruise or similar distortion on his face. It was as though Vanessa had just punched a marble wall.</p><p> </p><p>The male Blessed clicked his tongue before rejoining the unified speech of his group, their mutual expression one of unnervingly understated disapproval. "Uncouth... Human-like... Such a shame..."</p><p> </p><p>In spite of this demonstration of seeming invulnerability, Vanessa didn't stumble back. Her eyes might've been the sharpest Ivy had ever seen them. "I'd rather be human than whatever you turned yourself into."</p><p> </p><p>And despite the inevitability of their demise, for some inexplicable reason, Ivy wasn't feeling the strength leaving her body to prepare her for submission. In fact, it seemed to be steadily building inside of her like a fanned flame.</p><p> </p><p>The Blessed glided like the phantoms they had consumed; encircling the two vulnerable Architects like the sharks of the old world did around blood. "We will make it slow... Know that this was...preventable..."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy's hands curled tightly into fists. It should've taken much longer than less than half an hour for anything resembling strength to return to her body after the wave of CHAOS she had unleashed, and yet her balance didn't falter for a second as she rose to her feet. She didn't know if it was some simulation of an adrenaline burst or if her body's life-preserving functions had simply shut off in the face of certain death, but both body and mind were unwilling to peacefully submit.</p><p> </p><p>"Stop trying to put yourself on the high ground," Ivy hissed. "You're exactly the kind of humans our Blessed showed us; the ones who destroyed the world."</p><p> </p><p>The words failed to breach the Blessed's impassive expressions. "Nothing more than predictable ignorance..."</p><p> </p><p>There was no point in talking further. Ivy raised her arm, hearing the familiar building hum to CHAOS's base drop. Chances were high that this burst would obliterate her avatar, effectively destroying her mind in the physical world. If it meant being able to take just one more of the Blessed down with her, it at least will have meant something.</p><p> </p><p>She couldn't achieve the full charge in time. The Blessed didn't even move their arms. The moment they abruptly stopped, red-outlined black streaks descended upon the two Architects like a billion sword slashes.</p><p> </p><p>There was going to be a sensation similar to a billion lashes across her skin if what the Blessed had promised had indeed been accurate. Ivy was supposed to have seen at least some limb of hers fly in front of her vision if not a whole mess of wires or scrap metal as her shredded corpse collapsed to the floor.</p><p> </p><p>She was still standing with her arm still outstretched as though none of the blows had connected at all. Was there some kind of cruel delay before she suddenly felt the lacerations?</p><p> </p><p>That idea didn't fit the sudden change in demeanor of the Blessed member right in front of her. His face was flickering, seeming unable to process the very emotion he needed to project. There evidently had never been a need before for him to react with shock. Whatever had hit him sent him flying back much farther than Vanessa's punch did.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy couldn't exactly blame him in this one instance. Her mind was still attempting to fully process the faint pink dome that had formed over her and Vanessa...  </p><p> </p><p>Then it clicked. To make sure, Ivy twisted her head over her shoulder, only now realizing she and the pink-haired girl were standing before their attackers, pressed together back-to-back. Vanessa's hand was up in the air in an approximation of Ivy's pose. Within the dilated time they were in, the two Architects slowly turned their attention to each other then the construct encircling them. Vanessa's eyes were alight with pure astonishment as though she had just witnessed her first fireworks display.</p><p> </p><p>Time resumed as normal. Unlike when Vanessa had dealt the punch, the Blessed didn't succeed in slowing their descent before they hit the floor. Though they weren't left sprawled out, the Blessed's feet skidded across the floor, having to visibly put an effort into keeping their body's from tumbling backwards. The previously seemingly-ethereal beings in that moment were forced to obey gravity.</p><p> </p><p>As Ivy finished processing the sights, she realized she had inexplicably managed to neglect her sense of hearing. What was previously dead air pierced by the Blessed's subdued but invasive white noise had become overwritten by soft hum. It wasn't the kind of hum produced by some machine's belts, motors, or fans but rather something far more organic.</p><p> </p><p>It was like being sung to...    </p><p> </p><p>She recognized the voice, the sweet, soft tones that soothed her time and again. Only this time, Vanessa's voice was doing more than simply ease her mind.</p><p> </p><p>Now Ivy realized what power now coursed through her body after she had expended her own. It was no mere rush of adrenaline or some subconscious acknowledgement of her desire to go out in a blaze of glory.</p><p> </p><p>Within the digital realm, Vanessa's will granted strength and protection to those around her. There was already a precedent. Somehow, the pink-haired girl, despite her lack of technical knowledge of virtual space's intricacies, managed to freely converse with Rei while she was still trapped in that haze that cut her consciousness off from her surroundings. Already, her voice had managed to breach one of the distortions that the Blessed had left in their wake.</p><p> </p><p>And now that voice had taken on a physical form.</p><p> </p><p>"Unexpected..." the Blessed murmured as they shook off the shock they had just endured.</p><p> </p><p>There was likely supposed to have been a start of another monologue. Ivy didn't give them the opportunity to finish.</p><p> </p><p>The bass warped as Ivy unleashed a concentrated pulse of CHAOS to one of the Blessed's representatives, one identified as unique by his paler hair. In a blink, his head and upper body were consumed by a perfectly circular hole.</p><p> </p><p>Though Ivy didn't feel her body go weak from expended energy, the fact that the other Blessed didn't look all too concerned at one of their own dissolving into black pixels bode poorly. "So you have chosen...to fight... The barrier is...an annoyance...but we've...torn down...stronger walls..."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy turned her hand to another one of the shadowy figures only for the figure to disappear from her line of sight. Just as before, the black streaks curved through the air in a split second, striking Vanessa's barrier. The white-haired android expected them to be thrown back through the air once again, giving her the opening she needed to land another shot on another one of their assailants.</p><p> </p><p>However, due to some slight variation that Ivy couldn't perceive, the Blessed's black-gloved fingers inexplicably managed to hook to the barrier with dark veins spreading from their fingertips. There was a slight distortion in their figures as pixels were blown off of them as though they were blasted by a sudden gust of wind, but despite the barrier's clear effort to repel them, the Blessed clung on.</p><p> </p><p>She heard Vanessa let out a gasp. Turning her attention back to her, Ivy could see the pink-haired girl's face twist into a slight grimace and her outstretched hand shaking.</p><p> </p><p>Fear mixed into the energy pulsing through her body. The kind of concentration necessary to focus CHAOS's beams dissolved like sand, leaving something more primitive behind.</p><p> </p><p>There was no strategy as she continued firing at the remaining Blessed. All Ivy could think about at that moment was eliminating the source of Vanessa's distress. It wouldn't have mattered if clinging to the barrier had rendered the Blessed immobile, but that proved to not be the case for beings who could levitate. They easily dashed away from Ivy's shots with their blinding speed before reapplying their corruption-spreading digits to the barrier, and with each dash away, they took a small fragment of the barrier with them.</p><p> </p><p>Not only that, but with every return, the barrier seemed to repel the attackers with less force, until Ivy couldn't see the pixels on the Blessed's bodies disperse at all.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy desperately fired out CHAOS again, only succeeding in grazing the female Blessed's arm as she retreated. As the air distorted, the white-haired android noticed the barrier flash.</p><p> </p><p>She fired another shot. The barrier flashed again.</p><p> </p><p>One more shot, and Ivy witnessed the barrier flash once again.</p><p> </p><p>Each time, the barrier's color seemed to fade, becoming more transparent.</p><p> </p><p>Her mind instantly linked cause and effect. And Ivy was the cause. After all, Vanessa was not only providing power for the barrier but for Ivy as well, and now Ivy was taking too much.</p><p> </p><p>The white-haired android turned her head back over to the girl she was supposed to protect. Immediately, her eyes began to burn at the state Vanessa was in. All of that resolute strength had been sapped away, and yet, even as she was on her knees breathing raggedly, Vanessa continued to struggle, having raised her other arm to keep the power supporting Ivy flowing.  </p><p> </p><p>Suddenly, it felt as though massive weights had been placed on Ivy's shoulders. It was Ivy's objective to make sure no harm would come to Vanessa, but she had failed already in the worst possible way.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy's eyes burned as her arm lowered. Before Vanessa could possibly say a word about why her supposed knight had ceased her assault, the white-haired android had her arms firmly wrapped around her.</p><p> </p><p>"I'm so sorry..." Ivy choked.</p><p> </p><p>"I-It's not your fault," Vanessa responded quietly, burying her face in Ivy's shoulder. "I should've been stronger."</p><p> </p><p>The humming ceased. If only for the sake of denying the Blessed their catharsis of successfully striking fear into their victims, Ivy turned her glare towards them, watching as what remained of the barrier dissolved right before her eyes. She could feel Vanessa shifting in her arms, and from the corner of her eye, she could see the pink-haired girl raise her head in defiance as well.</p><p> </p><p>"You've denied...our alternatives..." the Blessed chided condescendingly as they quite literally looked down at the two Architects. "This...is the only option left..."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy and Vanessa's hands tightly intertwined as they awaited their execution.</p><p> </p><p>Two very clear gunshots rang out. The Blessed immediately halted their descent as one of their own fell to the ground with one visible hole in his chest and another in his head. As the fallen Blessed faded into a scattering of pixels, everyone present looked towards the source of the digital bullets. The sole female Blessed and the male variant who had been the Blessed's main presenter were all who remained.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy's tears broke free, not from guilt or fear but from relief and awe.</p><p> </p><p>Xenon was completely upright, looking no worse for wear despite the fact that he was sprawled across the floor last time checked. He had manifested his helmet, staring down his opponents with the visor's intimidating singular glowing red eye. His gun was steadily trained, completely devoid of the shaking hesitation he exhibited earlier.</p><p> </p><p>And to his right was Rei, still very much intact with no hint of scarring or corruption on her being, training her own hand gun on the Blessed. Her attire had been altered since the last time Ivy had seen her, being now a white pink-trimmed variant of the sleeveless infiltrator uniform Cherry had worn during all those memories where she fought back against the drones alongside the former administrator. The very gun in her hand was a replica of the one Cherry carried on her person.</p><p> </p><p>Seeing the two of them side by side ready to take on threatening odds evoked a strange sense of nostalgia in Ivy, as though she was witnessing a small snapshot into what could have been.</p><p> </p><p>"You're alive!" Ivy could only gasp.</p><p> </p><p>"Sorry I didn't show up sooner," Rei said apologetically, though her hardened gaze towards the Blessed didn't lessen. "I tried so hard to hide from these guys that I practically closed myself off to everything that was happening outside."</p><p> </p><p>"It's okay," Vanessa said between slightly haggard breaths. "You two came just in time."</p><p> </p><p>For a brief moment, Rei smiled back, before her eyes shifted slightly to her partner. "I guess I did inherit something from Sherry after all. Do we just do this like you and her used to?"</p><p> </p><p>"That gun is all yours. Do it like you would." Despite his helmet completely obscuring his face, the tone of Xenon's voice had a slight hint of warmth to it.</p><p> </p><p>More shots rang out. To the naked eye, only split-second glimpses of the virtual bullets' trails could be seen.</p><p> </p><p>"Another one..." the remaining two Blessed murmured in unison, seemingly unfazed by the multitude of bullets grazing them. "One more...to consume..."</p><p> </p><p>Their last words seemed to activate some kind of switch in Ivy's processor. Just like the instance when the Blessed had descended upon her and Vanessa, time dilated around the white-haired android. The two Blessed were still shooting towards Rei at troublesome speeds, but at least Ivy could now view their movements.</p><p> </p><p>There was still enough to make another shot. As CHAOS streaked across the sky, Ivy felt the warmth in Vanessa's hand radiate through her. A spike of anxiety panged in her chest as she felt the pink-haired girl shudder slightly.</p><p> </p><p>"You don't have to..." Ivy started.</p><p> </p><p>"That would just be giving up," Vanessa said quietly but firmly.</p><p> </p><p>As she said that, the female Blessed tumbled to the floor like a bird that had been shot out of the air by rifle, breaking apart like a glass figurine, each individual fragment unraveling and dissolving as they rolled.</p><p> </p><p>The final Blessed slowly halted its attempted assault, hovering in the air as it observed the attackers aiming at him from both directions. It should've been the moment he finally broke down into a raving mess or at least glared at the beings it had written off who now had him at their mercy. Instead, it was as though his face was only capable of looking at those physically beneath him with condescending curiosity and amusement.</p><p> </p><p>"Surrounded on...both sides..." the last Blessed mused, seemingly downplaying the scope of the threat he now faced. "Doesn't matter... There's still...more..."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy's body stiffened. Her focus once again had narrowed to the extent that it had given her tunnel vision. There had been more than just four Blessed in virtual space before the battle officially began. For all Ivy knew, the circle of shadows that had vanished to rend apart the virtual internet was just a fraction of the Blessed that remained.</p><p> </p><p>The last Blessed gave an all-too familiar dismissive wave.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy expected to see a large swarm suddenly materialize above them, enough to cast a shade before they descended in an overwhelming deluge.</p><p> </p><p>Five more shadows appeared and no one else.</p><p> </p><p>"Something is...wrong..." the Blessed muttered as he viewed the scant reinforcements. "Is...our sync...off? The call should have reached...everyone..."</p><p> </p><p>For once, Ivy saw the Blessed flinch, face flickering into a scowl. "Forget it... It's enough... One half... Absorb the program... Others...tear apart the rest..."</p><p> </p><p>Six assailants capable of moving at incredible speeds were still a threat. Ivy knew this, and yet she couldn't help but feel the previously writhing anxiety in her abdomen begin to still.</p><p> </p><p>In a span of what felt like less than an hour, the Blessed had gone from some unknowable malevolent army to what had amounted to a group of overconfident thugs under a self-important masquerade. Maybe, beyond their powers, that's all they had been from the beginning.</p><p> </p><p>More than anything now, all Ivy wanted to do was to pull the Blessed off of their pedestal.</p><p> </p><p>Three of the Blessed lunged at Ivy and Vanessa's direction. As the white-haired android raised her hand to intercept, she saw Vanessa's hand rise up in tandem.</p><p> </p><p>One was the gun. The other was the shield. One fought. The other protected.</p><p> </p><p>Despite the danger hurtling towards them, Ivy couldn't help but feel a bizarre kind of euphoria wash over her. She knew it wasn't just the energy Vanessa naturally exuded.</p><p> </p><p>A wave of CHAOS rippled from Ivy's hands. The Blessed contorted their bodies out of the way, their torsos taking uncannily spindly shapes as they did, attempting to swirl around the beam of destruction heading their way.</p><p> </p><p>However, CHAOS was under Ivy's control now. The only emotion driving every wave was raw focus on the objective, the objective to dissolve what remained of the Blessed threat. Not every wave of CHAOS had to be a single volume. Just like with a waveform in a program, she was allowed to make adjustments while the beam was in motion.</p><p> </p><p>The Blessed spun uncontrollably through the air as the beam clipped their arms and sides. It was like shredding the wing of a plane. Ivy heard the familiar hum as the light pink gradient formed directly in front of them, right in the path of the Blessed. Within just that short recovery period, Vanessa's barrier had returned to its full strength, and the Blessed were thrown back in the opposite direction.</p><p> </p><p>With Ivy's mind clear, the black silhouettes of the floundering Blessed stuck out against the white backdrop. It took no time for CHAOS to rend through two of them. Unfortunately, even with her fully-heightened perception, she was still limited by a body that couldn't react faster than the speed of sound. The third wave of CHAOS was unleashed, but the remaining attacking Blessed managed to twist itself through the air to evade the shot just in time.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy steadied herself, ready for the Blessed to attempt some kind of complicated maneuver to overcome the defenses the two Architects had erected. From the way its form floated through the air as though swimming through water, the Blessed certainly looked poised to do so.</p><p> </p><p>Its superhuman speed kicked back in...and sent it in the opposite direction.</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa lowered the barrier as well, likely just as confused as Ivy over the Blessed altered flight path.</p><p> </p><p>Confusion lasted only for a second before Ivy's vision readjusted, and it promptly transitioned to panic. Vanessa was capable of shielding her from harm. Neither Xenon nor Rei had such an ability. Through the contorting vortex of dark shapes Ivy could see the trails of gunfire streaking through, never quite managing to down the distant duo's attackers.</p><p> </p><p>In the span of time it took for Ivy to take down two of the Blessed, the other three had managed to force Rei and Xenon further away. There would be no way to cover that distance quick enough for an interception.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy raised her hand, attempting to at least disperse the swarm. Just as CHAOS began to distort the air, her eye caught a glimpse of something breaking off from the Blessed, but it wasn't the kind of fragment that was indicative of one of them receiving a wound. For one thing, the tattered splinter didn't dissolve into pixels as it flew through the air.</p><p> </p><p>In a blink, said splinter was suddenly much closer. And much larger. And more were hurtling towards her.</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa quickly raised the barrier back up. The curved splinters collided into it like overly large water droplets, the pure black material obscuring everything in front of them.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy suddenly remembered how the Blessed had sent Xenon sprawled out at the beginning of the battle. Of course they'd have the means to fight at a range.</p><p> </p><p>The barrier held without a crack of flicker. Ivy heard no signs of discomfort of exhaustion from Vanessa. The pink-haired girl's stance remained perfectly steady. And seconds after colliding, the black mass completely dissipated.</p><p> </p><p>It was just a distraction in other words.</p><p> </p><p>Precious seconds had been wasted. In that time, the encircling Blessed had only tightened their hold on Xenon and Rei.</p><p> </p><p>Before Ivy could even ready another shot, the black splinters were hurled in her direction. The barrier went up. Her vision was obscured.</p><p> </p><p>The Blessed's strategy quickly sunk in. The resolve that had energized her body all but dissipated. After believing Rei to have been consumed, Ivy was now going to be forced to watch it happen right in front of her, a consequence of the young woman's resolve to fight against the forces that had terrorized her.</p><p> </p><p>In moments, the Blessed would disperse, revealing either fading corpses or nothing. Then Ivy and Vanessa would be left to fend for themselves.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy hated her body for being so selfish as to waste Xenon and Rei's deaths by refusing to move an inch, to provide the motion necessary for a last stand. She couldn't exactly blame her body's refusal to move however. It had witnessed too many spots of hope being dashed away in such quick succession. At this point, it simply could not care to try holding out any further.</p><p> </p><p>She had failed to absorb Vanessa's determination. She couldn't even muster enough to shed a tear. All she could do was stare, while her inner consciousness half-heartedly attempted to make some kind of strategy for when the Blessed targeted them next.  </p><p> </p><p>There was a sudden bright flash of light.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy almost twisted her head to Vanessa, expecting her to be holding her hand out further, only to realize that the flash wasn't colored pink. Rather, it was a light shade of blue.</p><p> </p><p>It wasn't quite teal, but the color was close enough to the familiar iconography for Ivy to make the connection.</p><p> </p><p>In the literal blink of an eye, Ivy saw Aroma flying through the air, energy dispersing from her palm right into the torso of one of the Blessed as the rest were repulsed like a disturbed swam of flies.</p><p> </p><p>Perhaps the more accurate term to describe the idol's motion would've been "hurtling". The idol didn't quite seem to be able to control her flight path, or perhaps she had been thrown through the air. She somehow managed to look both completely determined and very disoriented by the turn of events.</p><p> </p><p>The Blessed Aroma had effectively punched through exploded into a cloud of rapidly fading pixels as her body skidded across the floor, having apparently not put much thought into her landing. Her return to her was quite swift however.</p><p> </p><p>"Is everyone okay?" Aroma gasped, eyes quickly sweeping across the area.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy's eyes did the same, quickly zeroing in on where Xenon and Rei had been.</p><p> </p><p>The two of them were still there, looking haggard with multiple cuts visible on their bodies but still very much alive. There were no measurements Ivy could think of to express the sheer relief she felt.</p><p> </p><p>"We are!" Vanessa called out joyously. "You came just in time!"</p><p> </p><p>Aroma let out a deep sigh of relief before glaring back up at the Blessed attempting to regain their bearings. "Thank God... I wanted to get here sooner, but these things were all over the virtual space."</p><p> </p><p>"Y-Yooouu..." For a brief moment, the Blessed's distortion had returned, as though their frustration could barely be contained. "The others... Y-You d-d-deleted the othersss... You alone... H-How?"</p><p> </p><p>Aroma clenched her hand as she turned her gaze to the four allies, to her four friends. "I didn't exactly do it alone. I wouldn't have been able to have tracked every one of those...things without Nora's help. And there were a lot more who were willing to fight alongside me..."</p><p> </p><p>Bizarrely, the Blessed spoke aloud the simple question Ivy was about to ask. "There are others...?"</p><p> </p><p>The idol nodded firmly. "Yes. When I was about to be overwhelmed, I made a call. Then suddenly all of these people from all over the world reconnected to the virtual internet, suddenly flooding into every part of virtual space that had been infected..."</p><p> </p><p>Her eyes sharpened as they met back with the projected ones of the Blessed who had initiated the attack. "I know all of you believe the same thing, that humanity only exists to destroy themselves. And you're wrong."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy expected a scoff from the Blessed in response, to dismiss the shift in the battle's dynamic like they did with the manifestation of Vanessa's abilities and Rei's return.</p><p> </p><p>Instead, the air was suddenly pierced by an eruption of white noise.</p><p> </p><p>There was nothing human left on the Blessed's faces, replaced instead by what could only be described as the kinds of scribbled expressions a child would draw to indicate someone monstrous. If it wasn't for the rest of the Blessed's bodies still being relatively intact, they would look no different than the decoy they had lured Ivy into destroying.</p><p> </p><p>"Unity...w-w-was our...at-attribute..." the Blessed hissed. "Y-Your k-k-kind...was supposed t-t-t-to rip...itself apart! I-It will! We'll hast̸͚̻͗e̸͖̠͘ņ̷̩̓͌ ̶̮̂ỉ̴̢͓̝̊̕t̵̳̋ i̶̭̞͇̮͈̪̓̍̀͒͆̚f̵̺̩͔̟̫͂̃ͅ ̷̘̎̿̈̇̍̚w̴̢̘̽̿͒̈́͜e̴̡̪̞̰͎͓͒͆͊̒ ̶̰͝h̵̢̧͍̤͊a̵̻͂͑̀͒̀̌v̷͔̘̗͝e̶̳͊͋͌̆͠ t̴͈̬̬̤͓̃̊̌̓̆̈́̍̈̌̽̓͜ơ̶̧̢̦̻͛̋̊͊!̶͕̼͓̏"</p><p> </p><p>Whatever confidence and composure the Blessed possessed that allowed them to so easily evade CHAOS and digital bullets had all but completely crumbled. There was no strategy to their assault, no disturbing graceful warping of their torsos, and no evasive maneuvers. Even if it meant being torn apart, all they cared about in turn was tearing apart the people surrounding them.</p><p> </p><p>In a perverse sort of way, it was somewhat vindicating seeing the seemingly otherworldly beings succumbing to such plainly human emotions, the very kind that purportedly led to humankind's near-extinction a millennia ago.</p><p> </p><p>The Blessed were right in one respect. Humans could be self-destructive. And they were no different.</p><p> </p><p>While, Ivy and Vanessa joined the two humans and the digital consciousness in a circle, the Blessed fell apart in organization, no longer coordinating but attacking only as individuals. Time and again, they lunged, and just as routinely, Vanessa's barrier returned, sending them flying back. The Blessed had already discovered a means to tear the barrier apart, but reason failed to cross their minds.</p><p> </p><p>With just a single addition and the knowledge that their greater designs had been torn apart by the beings they dismissed, loathed and wished to forsake, the battle that had once dragged for ages suddenly and quickly came to an end.</p><p> </p><p>The barrier didn't even go up when the last one lunged. Aroma simply planted a glowing palm in its chest as soon as it was within breathing distance. The Blessed's number of failed assaults had seemingly weakened it to the extent that it no longer could make a light-speed dash.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy couldn't tell if this Blessed was the very same that had introduced itself to her at the beginning of the encounter. The idol's blow had shattered its distinguishing features, revealing nothing more than a rather pathetically small featureless shadow in the vague shape of a bald human.</p><p> </p><p>It didn't necessarily matter. The Blessed had only spoken in unison, so consumed by their hatred for mankind and belief in their superiority that all distinguishing features had faded into nonexistence.</p><p> </p><p>The shell-less Blessed couldn't even rise back to its feet as Ivy and Vanessa approached it. There was a message that was brewing in Ivy's mind that she wanted to deliver, one that may have been forming ever since the Blessed had first proclaimed their hatred through Vanessa's voice.</p><p> </p><p>In spite of the anger Ivy still felt over the memory, she could not help but look at the Blessed with pity.</p><p> </p><p>"Humans might be far from flawless. Even during my time here, I've seen plenty of ways they've wronged one another. Not to mention, their ignorance was partially what almost allowed you to wipe out mankind the first time. But I've met individuals who are the exact opposite, those who chose to trust and help me despite the pain I put them through..."</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa stepped in, standing side-by-side with Ivy. "And those who readily accepted me as though I was nothing more than a normal girl despite everything I had taken from them while under your control. I don't know whatever it is that convinced you that mankind needed to be destroyed because all I see around me are people who are willing to love and protect."</p><p> </p><p>CHAOS pulsed in Ivy's palm. "Those are the humans who will inherit the Earth."</p><p> </p><p>The Blessed flew back, its body breaking apart from the legs up.</p><p> </p><p>"Betrayed again... We should have known...after she took her name... She's just like her..."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0030"><h2>30. Chapter 30</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Ivy finally says it.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It had been possibly over a month since the Blessed had been destroyed. Ivy stopped counting the days since the last of the hospitalized anonymous humans who had lent their aid in the fight awoke. With the knowledge that no casualties or lasting psychological damage had occurred, she now had more important things to do, specifically to agonize over future events.</p><p> </p><p>Compared to the wide-scale battle against the misanthropic relics of mankind's past, finally mustering the courage to tell Vanessa the true depths of her feelings was a seemingly impossible endeavor.</p><p> </p><p>She thought that saddling herself with a time limit would be the motivation necessary to get her to say the all-important "L" word, but that only served to make those accursed intrusive thoughts all the louder. All she could do now was try to focus on the scrolling cityscape as the train steadily made its way to its destination.</p><p> </p><p>"Is something wrong Ivy? You've been staring out the window for a while now."</p><p> </p><p>Speaking of which...</p><p> </p><p>The white-haired girl felt a deep blush form on her face as she struggled to turn her attention to the inquisitive pinkette. "I-It's just that I'm kind of anxious about the performance next week."</p><p> </p><p>"I'm sure you'll do great," Vanessa said with a playful nudge at Ivy's arm. "We've all been around to hear your rehearsals. Just think about us being there and not a crowd if it makes you feel uncomfortable."</p><p> </p><p>"It's a lot of people..." Ivy sighed.</p><p> </p><p>The excuse that Ivy came up with on the fly wasn't exactly a complete fabrication. There would be no mask to hide behind this time, and she knew just based on the number of attendees to her first AMA that there would be at least a hundred eyes on her as she stepped onto the stage. There would potentially be even more in fact considering not every iM board user was able to successfully recover their account information.</p><p> </p><p>Neko's ability to achieve such a vast outreach proved to be a double-edged sword.</p><p> </p><p>She rather morbidly mused that she had an easier time performing in Æsir-FEST because she knew nobody would remember her after it had concluded.</p><p> </p><p>Then again, the Ivy from a year ago was far different. The following she had accrued over such a short time were people not test subjects or materials. More than their interest, the present-day Ivy desired their approval. After all, it had been her goal from the beginning to remold her music into something that could bring joy to the masses. The fact that she seemingly accomplished just that in such a short period of time made her heart metaphorically dance.</p><p> </p><p>However, the thought of inciting disappointment or even derision through some unpredictable malfunction in her capabilities remained ever intrusive.     </p><p> </p><p>"You could ask Miss Aroma if it's still bothering you," Vanessa said soothingly. "She's also kind of shy on stage, but she performs so well that no one notices. Maybe she has a method that she can share with you."</p><p> </p><p>"She is also going to be performing," Ivy conceded. "I guess it couldn't hurt to get some pointers the next time we meet for rehearsals. Thanks."</p><p> </p><p>Finally mustering the courage to turn to the girl she loved proved to be a mistake on Ivy's part.</p><p> </p><p>"Not a problem," Vanessa said with a light giggle.</p><p> </p><p>Maybe it was just the afternoon sun, but Ivy could've sworn the pinkette's skin was practically glowing when she smiled at her. The white-haired girl's heart felt like it was about to explode. Was it actually possible for positive emotions to kill a person?</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa's attention drifted towards the window that Ivy had been mindlessly staring out of just moments earlier. "You know, I don't think I've seen this place before. Even though I could technically go wherever I wanted, I never actually thought to go this far out."</p><p> </p><p>"I never thought I'd actually be able to leave my apartment at all," Ivy couldn't help but chuckle. "This is pretty close to the edge of where I'm allowed to go right now."</p><p> </p><p>"Sounds like this place is really important to you," Vanessa said. "Were you thinking about going there for a while now?"</p><p> </p><p>"Vaguely," Ivy said. She began scratching her cheek awkwardly as her mouth began running off on its own, something she was used to by this point. "I didn't make plans before for obvious reasons, but I always had the image in my head. When I found out about my new boundaries, I did some searching online."</p><p> </p><p>"It's still amazing negotiations with the A.R.C. went over so well," Vanessa said wistfully. Her grin grew infectiously wide as she began shuffling in her seat. "There's so much I can show you now!"</p><p> </p><p>For some reason, Ivy found herself looking back on the event with a degree of nostalgia, despite how stressful the event had been in the moment. Unlike the other cases in which ConneR had just worked some kind of charisma-based magic to make Ivy's arrangements progressively more pleasant, this time, the negotiations required the white-haired girl to be present. After all, ConneR couldn't have possibly known who the Blessed were or what transpired during the battle that finally put an end to them.</p><p> </p><p>It was definitely a sign of her developing humanity that she found it far more stressful being put on the spot now than she did just months back when she calmly and directly confessed to her crimes as Æsir. Her recollection of the events as a consequence came out far more fragmented, a skeleton at first that slowly had metaphorical flesh added to it as more questions were inevitably asked.</p><p> </p><p>Nate definitely had the patience of a saint to be willing to hear her out and ask her the necessary questions. It had been quite some time since they last met each other. No doubt, he was somewhat shocked and more than a little peeved that the cold and direct girl he had met had somehow transformed into a stammering mess.</p><p> </p><p>Maybe he was specifically chosen by his superiors because he had managed to discern more from Ivy's intentions and her surrounding circumstances during their encounter in the Library than the average agent.</p><p> </p><p>Whatever the case, Ivy was silently overjoyed to see such a familiar face.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy found herself grinning. "And yet I'm the one showing you something for a change."</p><p> </p><p>"Are you sure you still can't tell me where you're taking me?" Vanessa asked, very deliberately making her eyes as wide and shimmering as those of a puppy.</p><p> </p><p>"I-It's still a s-surprise!" Ivy stammered, trying to keep her face from getting any hotter lest she cave into Vanessa's demand. She could practically feel Neko's apparition grinning with pride at her pink-haired student mastering one of her techniques.</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa slunk back into the chair, pouting in an exaggerated fashion. One would hardly think she was over the age of twenty let alone more than a thousand. Ivy couldn't stop herself from breaking out into brief fit of giggling. The way the pinkette's expression quickly gave way to one of her wide smiles. Ivy's laughter always seemed to have that effect.</p><p> </p><p>"T-Trust me," Ivy said as she recovered, "you'll love it when you see it."</p><p> </p><p>"Is that another promise?" Vanessa chimed, leaning her head against the white-haired girl's shoulder.</p><p> </p><p>"Just one of many," Ivy said with a shrug as she played a bit with Vanessa's pink locks. "How have I been doing in keeping all of them?"</p><p> </p><p>"Wonderfully," Vanessa purred as her eyes slowly closed.</p><p> </p><p>The gentle hum of the train's plates hovering above the railing was certainly soothing, though Ivy didn't know what exactly about her shoulder made it a popular resting spot for Vanessa whenever they sat together. All she did know was that the pinkette's peacefully resting face had a contagious effect. Ivy stifled a yawn as she nestled her head into Vanessa's hair. It would still be a while before the train stopped again, and that stop would be their destination.</p><p> </p><p>It was strange, but ever since Vanessa invited Ivy to stay in her apartment, Ivy sleep was no longer plagued by uncannily vivid dreams. They did still occur from time to time, but all she could remember from them upon waking up were the general moods they ended on.</p><p> </p><p>There were times when she woke up with her heart beating rapidly, but the sight of Vanessa's restful face always managed to calm her instantly.</p><p> </p><p>The train's automated announcer proved to be an effective enough alarm to stir Ivy from her slumber. She gently shook Vanessa just as the train doors slid open. "We're here."</p><p> </p><p>Those two simple words instantly dispersed whatever sleep-induced haze still hovered over Vanessa. She was out of the train and down the steps far before Ivy set foot out herself.</p><p> </p><p>"Wait up!" Ivy called out as she frantically chased after the pinkette. "You don't know where the place is!"</p><p> </p><p>To the white-haired girl's relief that Vanessa halted her descent down the station steps as soon as she hollered.</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa laughed sheepishly. "Sorry. I guess I got a bit too excited there. Obviously, I wouldn't know where to look."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy tried to make her own laugh not sound as nervous. "Yeah... Of course you wouldn't..."</p><p> </p><p>In all honesty, the intended destination was so close to the station that Vanessa probably could've stumbled across it by complete chance. Ivy at least trusted her intelligence enough to know that she could easily put two-and-two together.</p><p> </p><p>She conspicuously cleared her throat. "Okay, so as soon as we're down the stairs, I'm going to need you to cover your eyes. Don't worry, I'll guide you every step of the way."</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa complied almost eagerly, her smile wide like a child waiting to open her birthday presents. Well, in a way, this was going to be Ivy's present to her, even if it didn't exactly fit the traditional depiction. A destination couldn't be packed after all.</p><p> </p><p>It must've looked somewhat odd to any onlookers. One girl was looking down into her hands, giggling intermittently with her arm firmly hooked around her partner's, while said partner spent the entirety of her time slowly shuffling her feet forward as to make sure the girl didn't trip any step of the way. At the very least, Ivy had finally gotten over her temptation to pull her hood over her head whenever she felt scrutinized. Doing so probably would've made the two of them look even more conspicuous anyways.</p><p> </p><p>In retrospect, Ivy probably should've asked Vanessa to cover her eyes one block later.</p><p> </p><p>After an unnecessarily stressful trek across a crosswalk, Ivy and Vanessa's feet finally touched the fresh grassy floor for what felt like the first time in an eternity. The white-haired girl hadn't realized how much she missed the subdued crunch beneath her feet until now.</p><p> </p><p>Gingerly, Ivy helped pull Vanessa up the upcoming hill's small incline. The transition from her arm being hooked tightly around the pinkette's to their fingers simply being intertwined was seamless.</p><p> </p><p>Of course, that meant Vanessa's face was no longer fully covered, though her eyes were still gently closed.</p><p> </p><p>"Okay," Ivy said gently. "You can open your eyes now."</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa blinked for a moment as the sight before the two of them came into view. Then she gasped, her eyes shimmering like the surface of the lake before them.</p><p> </p><p>Ivy couldn't completely time every event perfectly, but she was at least thankful that the location of the sun just happened to be in the perfect spot to make the waterfront truly glow. It was as close to the lake from her memories the white-haired girl could replicate. Of course, there were several details that she couldn't quite get right. For one, they weren't standing in a large field of blue flowers but a grassy knoll that only had a small scattering of smaller yellow and orange ones.</p><p> </p><p>"It's not exactly like the lake we visited all those years ago," Ivy admitted nervously. "I couldn't find a place that had the same hill of flowers, but...is this good enough for you?"</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa's eyes remained on the waterfront. "It's perfect."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy couldn't afford to silently celebrate just yet despite the growing warmth she felt in her heart. This was just step one.</p><p> </p><p>"Do you...want to sit down here?" Ivy asked, kneeling down and patting a spot at the hill's grassy slope. "You know, like we did back then?"</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa blinked then shook her head a bit, as though Ivy's words had broken her out of some kind of trance. "O-Oh right. Of course. I'd love to. Sorry. Just seeing the water again like that... It's just so hypnotic."</p><p> </p><p>"I guess you never came here on your own?" Ivy observed curiously as the pinkette sat beside her. "You had the whole world to go explore way before I did. Why didn't you try to find a similar place on your own? Isn't this what you wanted to see as soon as you were awakened?"</p><p> </p><p>"The Nodes already have plenty to explore," Vanessa remarked with a shrug before sidling closer to Ivy. "Besides, returning to the lake was something you wanted us to do together. It wouldn't be right if I just went off searching on my own."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy squirmed a bit despite the undeniable warmth she felt in Vanessa's hand gently holding her own. "The last time I asked if you wanted to return to the lake, you weren't exactly...yourself. Do you still get flashbacks to what happened?"</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa's smile turned melancholic. "You're not the only one who sometimes wakes up in the middle of the night..."</p><p> </p><p>"I'm sorry..." Ivy said, feeling the warmth begin to give way to an all-too-familiar weight.</p><p> </p><p>"Don't be," Vanessa said firmly, the lingering hints of sadness on her face instantly vanishing. "I remember what you told me after finding out the first time and everything afterwards, and suddenly I don't feel so afraid anymore."  </p><p> </p><p>The answer came so quickly and swiftly that Ivy couldn't help but feel a bit of whiplash. "A-Are you sure you're okay?"</p><p> </p><p>"As long as you're here, I'll always be," Vanessa said as her grin steadily returned. "Things aren't completely perfect, yes, but isn't that just what it's like to live like a person?"</p><p> </p><p> Ivy couldn't help but chuckle a bit. Vanessa always understood emotions better than the white-haired girl ever could. "I guess you'd be the teacher when it comes to living like a person."</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa's smile was beaming. "Hey, you're a pretty good student if that's the case."</p><p> </p><p>The two girls gazed deeply into each others' eyes, bright ruby to crimson. If Ivy delayed things a second more, her heart would completely overflow.</p><p> </p><p>She let instinct take over, allowing herself to burst into speech before her mind could halt her. "V-Vanessa, I-I've been thinking...about how I described the way the two of us...you and I think about each other... I-I said we saw each other like siblings, but everything I felt after we were united again and afterwards didn't feel like that... It was something different... I think I know what I feel now..."</p><p> </p><p>It was the moment truth. There was no way to turn back now. "I love you, Vanessa."</p><p> </p><p>The moment those words were uttered, the air went still. It was as though a thick bubble had formed around them, muffling even the sounds of nature. Confessing was supposed to bring Ivy some level of catharsis, at least according to the records of social interactions she had in her memories.</p><p> </p><p>Instead, she could only feel her heartbeat intensifying to almost thunderous levels. Vanessa was supposed to respond, wasn't she? Had time completely stopped? Why was she just staring at her, not saying a word?</p><p> </p><p>V-Vanessa?" Ivy asked nervously. "D-Did I say something wrong?"</p><p> </p><p>To Ivy's immense relief, Vanessa's face unfroze in an instant. "Oh! No! No, of course not!"</p><p> </p><p>She let out an incredibly awkward laugh, like she was utterly embarrassed at herself. "I-I was just kind of stunned. It's just that..."</p><p> </p><p>Ivy hadn't seen Vanessa's cheeks glow that pink before. "I thought I was going to say it first."</p><p> </p><p>Now it was Ivy's turn to go completely silent. Maybe her perception was failing her. All sound had left the environment just a second before. She probably just imagined a bunch of garbled words into something she wanted to hear.</p><p> </p><p>Everything about this just felt too good to be true.</p><p> </p><p>"Y-You love me?" Ivy babbled.</p><p> </p><p>Vanessa nodded, her smile possibly the widest she had ever seen. "I think I've been in love with you ever since I saw your face again in the Library. More than anything, I knew I never wanted to be apart from you ever again."</p><p> </p><p>Something indescribably intense washed over Ivy. She could feel a tear rolling down her cheek, but she was laughing. Was this the phenomenon known as catharsis? "I'm... I'm just so happy right now! Thank you so much!"</p><p> </p><p>"And I love you so much right now too!" Vanessa cried out joined in. They were two fools who were laughing and crying for reasons their minds couldn't comprehend.</p><p> </p><p>Eventually, the two girls in love quieted down. Ivy wiped her eyes, looking right into the face of her love. "Hey Vanessa... Can I try something?"</p><p> </p><p>"Sure?" Vanessa responded, looking amused but slightly confused. "What did you have--?"</p><p> </p><p>Ivy didn't know what compelled her to close the scant distance between them, but without warning, her lips were pressed lightly to Vanessa's. She heard the pinkette let out a light squeak before feeling her gentle hands grip her arms, keeping their bodies bound for just a brief moment.</p><p> </p><p>A second later, they broke their first kiss.</p><p> </p><p>Both of them could only blink at each other.</p><p> </p><p>"Was that it?" Ivy asked. "It's strange; I thought that there'd be a bit more to it."</p><p> </p><p>"Yeah..." Vanessa said, her eyes diverting to the lake for just a brief moment.</p><p> </p><p>Her eyes shifted back to Ivy, adopting curious look as she clasped the white-haired girl's hand into her own. "Can I try?"</p><p> </p><p>Ivy found herself nodding her head. As Vanessa leaned in closer, a breeze passed through, causing her pink hair to flutter. The pinkette's eyes slowly closed. Ivy followed in suit. There was something oddly familiar about this moment.</p><p> </p><p>They did not link to any memories, but the image was becoming progressively clearer.</p><p> </p><p>Of course, the metal panels and joints hadn't magically disappeared from either Ivy or Vanessa's bodies, but she could feel her heart beat as though they had. And as the distance closed once again, she could hear the gentle beat of Vanessa's own.</p><p> </p><p>It didn't matter if their bodies were mechanical in nature. What they felt as they embraced, lips firmly interlocked, was completely human.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Well, that's all she wrote. Thank you everyone for sticking around this project that ballooned far more in scope than I had anticipated.</p><p>It's not exactly the same as what I've written, but if you want to follow more of my work, I also <a href="https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/curious-ventures-for-curious-folk/list?title_no=437578&amp;page=5">have a webcomic that's hosted on Webtoons</a>.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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